City of Crystals
by Renesmee4eva
Summary: Summary inside. Rated T to be safe. Currently revising chapters. I will have new ones up soon!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If you have not read City of Heavenly Fire, I wouldn't advise you to read this unless you want spoilers! Okay, so I decided to do a fanfiction continuation of The Mortal Instruments series now that I have read CoHF!**

**Summary:** **The Dark War is over and all seems well with the Shadow World – as well as it can be anyway. Magnus and Alec are happily together again but is all really well with them? What about Simon and Isabelle? What will happen to their relationship now that Simon has basically forgotten everything? And something is about to change Jace and Clary's lives forever, but will things work out? And to top off all the drama, there may still be a threat on the horizon – bigger than the Dark War that just passed.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1

June 2008

It was only the start of summer but the heat was already blazing down on Clary as she sat in Central Park with her sketch pad placed upon her knees.

She let the pencil lightly glide across the paper, sketching the scene in front of her; the trees in the background, ranging in size and shape as their branches – covered in leaves – reached up towards the sky that was streaked here and there with the odd wispy cloud, the blades of slightly long grass swaying gently in the delicate breeze and then finally, the reason she was here right now – Jace, who was lying on the ground staring off at something in the distance.

He had told her she could be a Shadowhunter as well as an artist and she decided she would do just that. Sure, she had less time to draw and be an artist now that she was a Shadowhunter but it didn't mean she didn't have any time.

Clary placed the pencil down with her sketch book and quietly walked over to Jace who was still paying no attention to her at the moment.

When she was about a foot away from him, she reached down to touch his arm when he moved as fast as a bolt of lightning.

His hands wrapped around her upper arms and he pulled her down to the ground, flipping over so Clary's back was against the ground and he was hovering over her.

His hands now rested on either side of Clary's small frame and his golden eyes stared down at her softly with amusement.

"Did you really think you could sneak up on me like that?" he asked, a playful smile gracing his lips.

"I was going to try," Clary replied, her breathing slightly quick from Jace's surprise attack.

Jace just smiled down at Clary lovingly. "You know," he said after a moment's silence. "You should wear teal more often. It's a great colour on you – it brings out your eyes... and your hair."

Clary just looked away for a moment. "Maybe I should wear something that makes my hair less noticeable," she said.

"Why? Your hair is beautiful. It's a rare colour and I love it. I love you," Jace said as he leaned his face down to gently brush his lips against Clary's cheek. He then kissed her nose, her forehead, her other cheek and finally, her lips.

His kiss lingered there the longest. It wasn't a heated, passionate kiss like some of the ones they shared but it was soft and gentle and full of love and adoration.

Clary smiled against Jace's lips and he pulled back slightly. "Did I say I love you?" Jace said, his lips brushing Clary's as he spoke, his eyes staring into hers – gold and green.

"Only about a million times," Clary said. "But it doesn't hurt to hear it again," she continued, her eyes twinkling as she smiled up at Jace.

After a moment of lying there just staring at each other, Jace pushed himself up off Clary and held out a hand to her.

She took it and he pulled her up to her feet.

Clary reached out to grab her sketchbook of the park bench but Jace had beaten her to it and he looked down at the picture Clary had been drawing.

"Amazing," he whispered, smiling at the picture before Clary reached out and took the sketchbook from his hands.

She closed it up, grabbed her pencil and then grabbed Jace's hand with her spare one before they started walking back to the institute.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Alec sat on the black leather couch and stared across at the recliner which was currently the spot from which the tiny, familiar cat stared back at him; his yellow eyes almost seemed as if they were glaring – judging him.

Alec heard the apartment door open and close but he didn't take his eyes off the cat.

"Having a staring match with a cat?" the familiar voice said as a body leaned over the back of the couch, casting a shadow across Alec's legs.

"He started it," Alec replied as he turned to face Magnus.

Even now, a couple of months after they had gotten back together, Alec couldn't get used to seeing Magnus's face smiling back at him.

He couldn't get used to seeing the familiar cat eyes staring into his blue ones. He could get used to the warlocks spiked, glittery hair. He couldn't get used to the familiar shock he got every time they touched.

But he would learn to. Sure, he had spent months moping over the fact he had lost his first love but Magnus was back and it was evident that he regretted making Alec suffer. It was evident he wanted to make things right and settle into a solid, steady relationship with the dark haired Shadowhunter.

Magnus chuckled, reaching out to cup Alec's cheek before kissing him.

Alec moved, turning around on the couch so he was on his knees. I reached up with both hands and tangled his fingers in the warlock's glittery hair as he deepened the kiss.

Magnus took Alec's lower lip between his teeth and Alec sighed slightly, trying to get closer to the warlock despite the barrier the back of the couch formed between them.

Alec managed to climb over the arm of the couch while keeping his hands tangled in his boyfriend's hair and their lips stayed locked together.

Alec pressed himself closer to Magnus as the warlock wound his arms around Alec, locking in him in a hug before his hands moved and travelled up the Shadowhunter's back before he cupped his face.

Alec took a step forward, making Magnus take a step backwards. He was about to deepen the kiss further when Magnus pulled away with a groan, gasping slightly for air.

Alec was taking deep breaths as well as he stared at his boyfriend whose cat-like eyes were gleaming and full of love yet annoyance.

"What..." Alec started to say when he heard the chime of the apartment's doorbell.

Magnus walked away towards the door, grumbling about people coming around at the most inconvenient times.

Chairman Meow walked past Alec, stopping briefly to look at him before continuing up the hall.

Alec paid little attention to the cat though; his eyes were fixed on his warlock boyfriend who had opened the apartment door.

No one was there – Alec could see that clearly.

Magnus stared out the door and looked around before he suddenly bent over for a second before standing up straight.

He closed the door and Alec was about to ask what had happened but he saw a piece of paper in his boyfriend's hands.

Magnus unfolded the piece of paper and his eyes skimmed over whatever was written on it. Only a mere second later, Magnus paled – the colour disappearing from his tanned skin.

Alec composed himself, walked over to Magnus and peered over his shoulder to read what was on the piece of paper.

His eyes trailed over the words that had been written in elegant, cursive script and he too felt himself stiffen. He didn't doubt the colour had drained from his face.

_I know where you are Alexander Lightwood. You cannot hide from me. I will find you and end you._

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary smiled up at Jace as they walked along the sidewalks back to the institute. "I'm guessing we'll be doing training of some sort when we get back?" Clary said as she at Jace, the afternoon sun causing Jace's hair to take on a more golden tone.

"You guessed correctly," Jace said.

Clary just groaned. She knew she was still kind of new to the shadow world but she knew what she was doing and she was pretty good at it. She felt as if training was a waste of time at some points.

"We don't have to train," Jace said, raising and eyebrow as he looked down at Clary, a flicker of some unidentified emotion appearing in his eyes for a brief moment.

Clary just looked down at her teal sneakers as she scuffed them against the pavement.

Jace just chuckled and slipped his hand out of Clary's before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, his fingers dancing lightly on her shoulder and upper arm.

Clary just giggled slightly as Jace's fingers lightly brushed her skin.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Isabelle sighed as she watched Simon, Eric, Kirk and Matt argue playfully on the stage set up in the restaurant.

She didn't particularly like the music the band played – it was still terrible, even more so now that Jordan was no longer a part of the band - his vocals had made the band a little better.

Isabelle's heart contracted as she thought of the slim but muscular boy. He had always been so kind and caring and he had been so easy to talk to. He had been there for Simon but now, Simon had no recollection of the boy that had lost his life protecting Simon and trying to find him when he had been missing.

She could almost picture him on the stage with his dark hair tumbling into his hazel-green eyes as he tried to get the boys to settle down and be serious before they broke something that they would have to replace.

Her heart also contracted again as she thought about Maia. She knew Maia had planned to break up with Jordan but she knew that she still cared about him to some extent.

Isabelle shook her head to clear it of the upsetting thoughts and she looked up at the nerdy boy with glasses as he joked around with his friends.

She had to admit, she wasn't a fan of his style again – the 'Born in Brooklyn' t-shirt, the torn jeans and worn out sneakers was a nightmare to look at but it was who he was. His style didn't change his caring, charming personality. She was still the boy she loved – she hoped.

Ever since Simon's memory of the shadow world had been erased, Isabelle had been holding onto any loose thread she could find.

He remembered kissing her but it just wasn't enough for Isabelle. She had given him her heart and now she had to do it all over again.

She had to get him to fall in love with her again. Sure, it wasn't going to be that hard, it was easy to make guys fall in love with her but she wanted her relationship with Simon to be what it had been before – before the dark war.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary panted slightly as she dodged one of Jace's 'attacks'.

They had started out training and in a way, they still were training but it was turning into more of a game with each passing second. The two young Nephilim were becoming more and more distracted as the clock ticked.

Clary laughed as Jace tried to grab her but missed.

He spun on his heels and looked at the laughing red-head, his golden eyes gleaming.

"Your laugh is beautiful," he said as he stood up straight and looked at Clary as he tried to catch his breath.

Clary laughed once again.

Jace smiled at her and moved quickly, throwing his arms around Clary's waist and sending the two of them crashing to the mats on the floor.

Once again, Jace was hovering over Clary; his hands placed either side of her head.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against Clary's again.

In a shock movement, Clary pushed Jace backwards and climbed on top of him, sitting on his stomach. She smirked down at him in satisfaction.

Jace just rolled his eyes and placed his hands on Clary's hips, moving his thumbs in small circles as he smiled up at her. "You're good," he said. "Very tricky."

Clary just smiled and stood up a moment later.

Jace stood up after her and decided that training was done for the day.

The two of them packed up the training room and went off to clean up after their day.

**A/N: What did you think? Review Please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! They all made me smile! I am so glad you guys are enjoying this already! Here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 2

_I know where you are Alexander Lightwood. You cannot hide from me. I will find you and end you._

Alec read over the writing on the piece of paper for the hundredth time that afternoon. The elegant, cursive script was so familiar yet he couldn't place it.

"Who would want to do this?" Magnus asked as he wrapped his arms around Alec and rested his chin on the young Shadowhunter's shoulder.

"I don't know," Alec replied as he placed his hand over Magnus's.

"Why would someone want to do this?" Magnus continued.

"Again, I don't know. It can't be that dangerous though," Alec said. "We've faced the Endarkened, we survived travelling through a demon realm, I'm sure we will be able to get through whatever this is," he continued as he waved the piece of paper around.

"You're right there I guess," Magnus said. "There's still the question of why though."

Alec just sighed and turned around to face his boyfriend.

He looked up into the warlock's cat-like eyes and sighed when he noticed the worry dancing behind them.

"You need to stop worrying about me so much Magnus," Alec said. "I'm a Shadowhunter, I can deal with this. I'll be fine," he continued as he placed a hand on his boyfriend's cheek in an attempt to comfort him.

"It doesn't make sense though," Magnus said. "What did you do to make someone want to kill you? Why would someone have something pinned against someone as amazing as you?"

"I didn't do anything," Alec said. "I don't know why it's happening but it is and we have to deal with it. We can deal with it... we will. It's a part of our job as Shadowhunters to protect the mundane world from danger and while doing that, we put ourselves in danger but we overcome it. Just trust me Magnus, stop worrying. I'll be fine."

Magnus stared down into Alec's blue eyes and stayed silent for a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to Alec's in a sweet, gentle kiss.

Alec smiled against the kiss and wrapped his arms around Magnus before placing his head on the warlock's chest.

"I know you can get through this. I trust you and I believe in you but I can't help myself. I worry about you Alec, I always have."

Alec just smiled slightly. It was nice to know that someone cared enough to be worried about him. There were very few people in his life that were like that.

Alec sighed in content as Magnus wrapped his arms around him.

They both stood there for a moment, silently enjoying their embrace before Alec spoke. "Do you think the others should know? Just in case," Alec said.

"I think they should," Magnus replied, brushing his lips across Alec's forehead.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary pulled her damp hair up into a ponytail before walking out of her bathroom.

She was about to walk out of her room when an arm appeared in the doorway, blocking her exit.

Clary stared for a moment before her eyes drifted to the body the arm was connected to. She raised her eyes and looked straight into Jace's.

He just smirked down at her.

"Is there a reason you're not wearing a shirt?" Clary asked, her eyes briefly dropping to Jace's toned chest.

"Don't pretend you don't like it," Jace replied as he dropped his arm before wrapping it around Clary's waist.

Clary just laughed and put her hands on Jace's chest. "So why are you here?"

"Am I not allowed to come and see my beautiful girlfriend?" Jace asked, his golden eyes staring down at Clary.

Clary just smiled up at Jace before she stretched up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers tangled themselves in Jace's blonde hair and she pressed her lips to his.

Jace moved his arms so his hands were now on Clary's hips and he kissed her back softly for a moment before he deepened the kiss.

He stepped forward, making Clary step back into the room.

When they were away from the door, Jace kicked it shut before spinning around so Clary was pinned up against the wall.

He pulled back for a second to catch his breath before ducking his head to kiss Clary again.

A moment later, he lifted Clary up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She used the extra height to deepen the kiss even more.

She felt movement a moment later and realized Jace was walking and just as she pulled back to catch her breath, she felt the soft mattress of her bed underneath her.

She pulled Jace down onto the bed as she tried to catch her breath.

Jace was just smiling as he lay down beside her. He ran a hand through his blonde hair then rolled over so half of his body was hovering over Clary.

He leaned down and brushed his lips over Clary's cheek before kissing her nose, her other cheek, her forehead and her lips.

His kiss was soft and gentle and lingered on Clary's lips for a moment before he trailed a line of kisses down her neck and along her collarbone.

He swung his leg over Clary's waist and continued to kiss her.

His mouth had just connected with hers again when the sudden, shrill sound of Clary's phone broke them apart.

Clary sighed and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and answering the call.

"What's up Simon?" she asked as she looked up at Jace who was smiling but clearly annoyed that they had been interrupted.

"You said you'd help me learn this stuff..." Simon replied.

Clary thought for a moment, confused, before she realized what Simon was talking about.

She had promised to help him study the Codex and all, since he had to learn everything before he could ascend.

"Oh, right! I'm sorry Simon, I'll be there shortly!" Clary said.

"Alright... bye," Simon replied.

"Bye," Clary said, hanging up and looking at Jace again who was now clearly confused.

"What was that about? Why do you have to go?" Jace asked.

"I promised Simon I would help him study the Codex and all so he can ascend," Clary said as Jace moved back to sitting beside her.

"Why can't Isabelle help him? She's hanging out with him after all... I want you to stay here," Jace said.

"You know how Isabelle feels right now Jace. She's going through a hard time... I'll be back later," Clary said, climbing off the bed.

"Alright," Jace said. "I'll find something to do."

Clary just smiled at Jace before walking out of the room and making her way down to the elevator.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Simon was flicking through the pages of the Codex when Clary walked into his room, shutting the door behind her.

"I see you've already started," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah... it's a lot to take in," Simon replied, looking up at Clary with a smile.

"It is... I know it took me a while to fully understand everything when I first discovered the shadow world and I had to learn everything while training with Jace and searching for my mother," Clary said with a small laugh.

Simon just nodded, looking back down at the Codex. "At least you didn't have to worry whether you'd survive becoming a Shadowhunter... you already were one," Simon said.

"You'll survive Simon. You're strong... you'll be able to do it," Clary said as she climbed onto the bed and sat down beside Simon, ready to explain anything he didn't understand.

"What's it like? Fighting demons?" Simon asked, looking up from the Codex again.

"It can be scary... especially when it's your first time fighting them and you've never really seen them before; after a while though it becomes exciting – thrilling. You know – the rush of adrenaline and all..." Clary said.

"So what's the Mortal Mirror? How come no one knows where it is?" Simon asked, looking up again.

Clary laughed slightly. "The Codex really needs to be updated... the Mortal Mirror is Lake Lyn in Idris," she said.

"Oh... alright... yeah, they need to update this," Simon said, smiling as he went back to reading.

Simon nodded and went back to reading, occasionally asking Clary to explain something in further detail.

"Clary, what if after all this studying the Clave decides they don't want to let me ascend?" Simon asked quietly after a moment.

Clary looked up at Simon. "Simon, they're desperate for more Shadowhunters. After the events of the Dark War, after losing all those Shadowhunters because they were either Endarkened or killed, we need more. If they turn you down, they'd be idiots. You have so many people that will fight back if the Clave decides to turn you down. You'll be able to ascend Simon, trust me," she said confidently.

"Thanks Clary... I can count on you to get rid of my worries," Simon said with a smile, wrapping his arms around his best friend.

Clary just laughed and hugged Simon back.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Isabelle just kicked a stone off the path as she walked through the park.

Hanging out with Simon at his gig had been fun. He seemed so happy playing music despite the fact the band was terrible.

Isabelle missed Simon as a Daylighter - she missed the relationship they'd had. They had finally declared their love to each other but then they were trapped in the demon realm and either Magnus or Simon had to give up their immortality.

Simon had volunteered to give up his immortality – and his memories – to save Magnus and it had been a rather emotional time for Isabelle.

She knew he hadn't wanted immortality and she knew eventually he would be alone but she hadn't wanted to lose him.

When Magnus had been able to give Simon back some of his memories, a small glimmer of hope began to shine – a small spark deep inside her, waiting to be ignited. Isabelle knew that maybe, just maybe, she could get back what she had with Simon but she also knew it was going to take time.

It took the two of them months to finally declare their love and now it was probably going to take months again before they got back to where they had been.

There were benefits to the current situation though, Isabelle thought. Simon could enter the institute now, in fact, if the Clave allowed him to ascend he would actually be living in the institute which meant they could spend more time together and maybe move things along a little faster.

Another stone became the victim of Isabelle's boot and went flying down the path.

Eventually, Isabelle left the park and made her way along the sidewalk, following the familiar route back to the institute.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Isabelle found slight comfort in her black and hot pink room.

She sat down on her bed, absentmindedly running her fingers over the hot pink satin quilt cover.

Thoughts constantly ran through her mind – what would happen if the Clave turned Simon down? How were they going to work out their relationship? Why did Magnus's father have to be such an ass and take away Simon's memory?

Isabelle flopped back on the bed, her ink black hair fanning out around her head.

She stared at her ceiling in silence as she tried to reassure herself that everything was going to be alright.

Isabelle had never felt so unsure before. Before Simon lost his immortality and memories, her future had been clear – she was going to fight demons and be with Simon for as long as she could.

Now, her future was unclear. She had to restart her relationship and build up the trust and love again. If Simon ascended though, it would be so much harder considering the fact he would be training constantly.

Isabelle just sighed and sat up again, reaching out to the photo frame that sat neatly on her bedside table – in fact, it was probably the only thing in Isabelle's room that was neat.

Inside the frame was a picture Clary had taken when Simon was a Daylighter.

They hadn't realized Clary had taken the photo until she gave it them.

Isabelle had no idea what had happened to Simon's picture – it was probably still pinned to the refrigerator in the apartment he and Jordan used to share before the Dark War.

Simon and Isabelle had just been hanging out in Idris talking when the picture had been taken.

It was just a simple thing, yet it brought back so many memories – the stories he'd told her, the way he'd comforted her after Max's death, the way he'd always been there for her; they were things she'd never forget.

Isabelle carefully placed the picture back on her bedside table and lay down on her bed again, silently staring at the ceiling.

**A/N: Review Please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two Weeks Later – Mid June

"Are you sure it's not someone playing some kind of joke?" Isabelle asked her brother as she stared down at the note before Jace pulled it out of her hand.

"I highly doubt it's a joke Isabelle," Jace said, running a hand through his golden blonde hair. "The only people that know Alec's name are the Nephilim and the Downworlders and no one would play a joke like this."

"Then who would want to kill Alec?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out but we have no leads. This note appeared at the door of my apartment and there was no one around, not that I could see anyway. Whoever it was dropped the note, rang the doorbell and ran for it," Magnus said.

"Have you considered trying a tracking spell on the note? I mean... it belonged to someone once I guess. It was their paper," Jace said.

"It doesn't work like that Jace, and you know it," Magnus said.

Jace just sighed. "There has to be a way to find out who is threatening Alec."

"The only thing we can do at the moment is wait for more information... we have to wait for a lead," Magnus said.

"That could take forever..." Isabelle said. "What if we don't get a lead?"

"Someone is after Alec, we know that much," Magnus said. "Whoever has posed this threat to Alec will either continue to leave threats for a while or they will try and strike. We will find out who it is. Alec is a strong fighter, as are you two, Clary and I. We have nothing to worry about."

Isabelle just nodded, knowing Magnus was right.

With a warlock and four Shadowhunters with exceptional skills – Jace with his seraph blades, Alec with his bow and arrows, Isabelle with her whip and Clary with her rune powers – Alec would be safe. Whoever had posed this threat had picked the wrong family to mess with and they were going down one way or another.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Simon had been doing really well in his studying lately. He had now finished reading the Codex and he was now studying the Law and the history of the Nephilim in more detail.

He still had to learn more about demons, Downworlders, weapons and runes though – and there were a lot of books he had to go through.

Clary had dropped them around to his place yesterday. He now had a copy of the Gray Book and many more books of varying thickness on weapons, demons and Downworlders plus Clary's notes on everything from when she had been studying.

Simon sighed as he looked at the book in front of him. He was currently studying the book on weapons – one of the more interesting subjects he had left to study.

He was enjoying himself and he was looking forward to becoming a Shadowhunter – it was kind of like one of his video games, hunting monsters and all.

He was also afraid though. He knew how things went. His situation would be explained and as long as no one objected to him becoming a Shadowhunter the consul would ask him some questions. As long as all went well there, he would then have to drink from the Mortal Cup. This was the part he was afraid of. Even though Clary had reassured him constantly, he was still slightly afraid. He'd heard the stories of people – mundanes – ascending and he knew the dangers that the Mortal Cup brought. He knew that if he wasn't strong enough, he might just die during the process of becoming a Shadowhunter.

Simon shook his head to clear it and went back to studying.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Jocelyn smiled up at Luke, her green eyes shining as they stared into his blue ones.

She still couldn't believe he was hers.

She still couldn't believe it had taken her so long to realize she actually loved him.

She still couldn't believe she had thought she'd actually loved Valentine.

She wouldn't change her past though. Sure, Valentine had been twisted – sadistic and power hungry – but without him, Clary wouldn't be a part of this world.

Clary was the only reason Jocelyn was grateful for Valentine. There was Jonathan as well but he had been a dark, twisted person just like his father – probably worse in fact – right up until his death.

Thinking about her now dead son brought a quick stab of pain to Jocelyn's chest.

In his final moments, Jonathan had been who he should have been his entire life. He had been caring and he was truly sorry for what he had done.

She wished he had still been alive now. She wished there had been some way to save him so she could have the son she'd always wanted – so she could just hold him in her arms and let him know how much she loved him.

Jocelyn was brought back to reality by Luke as he wrapped his arms – strong and warm – around her waist.

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked quietly, brushing his lips across Jocelyn's forehead.

"Jonathan," Jocelyn replied in a whisper as tears stung the back of her eyes.

Luke just sighed and held Jocelyn a bit tighter. He didn't know what to say right now. What did you say to a person that had lost their son – the boy that had destroyed half a population because he was influenced by evil then felt bad about it and was loved because the evil had been burned away?

While Jocelyn calmed down, Luke just held onto her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary was sitting on the stone bench in the greenhouse, sketching the scene in front of her – the gorgeous green plants dotted here and there with flowers of vibrant colours – almost like jewels.

She should probably be doing some sort of training right now but the way the sunlight was filtering through the glass dome – the way it hit the plants – made the scene to rare to miss. She just had to draw it. Sure, she could have take a photo and drawn later but she wanted to experience this in real life.

"Clary?" she heard Jace's voice ring out from somewhere in the institute. It was faint – barely audible – so she assumed he was probably looking for her on the ground floor.

Clary looked back down at her drawing and reached out for her green pencil that sat beside her. She was in the middle of shading in some of the plants when a shadow was cast over her and her sketchbook.

Slowly, she raised her head and eventually her eyes met Jace's.

He stood in front of her with his arms folded over his chest and an eyebrow raised.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" Jace asked after a second.

"Move," Clary replied, reaching out to push Jace to the side.

Caught off guard, he stumbled to the side and Clary smirked before going back to her drawing.

"Sorry..." Clary said, staying focused on her drawing.

Jace just sighed and sat down beside Clary, moving her pencils out of the way.

"That looks amazing," Jace said after a while of watching Clary shade in the drawing – slowly bringing it to life.

Clary just smiled. "Thanks," she said. "So... you were calling me before?" Clary asked.

"Yeah... I was thinking we should do a bit of training... we haven't trained in a few days and we want to improve our skills, not weaken them due to lack of training," Jace said.

"Alright," Clary said with a sigh before gathering her stuff and going to change into something suitable for training.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Isabelle had decided to help Simon with some of his studying. It would give her a chance to build up some trust again.

She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it.

A moment later, the door opened revealing a tall girl with dark hair and brown eyes. She also had a few freckles splayed across her nose.

This wasn't someone Isabelle had ever met.

"Hello... can I help you?" the girl asked, seeming a little shocked.

"Yeah... I'm here to help Simon... with an English assignment," Isabelle said, not sure what else to say.

She couldn't really say she was here to help Simon study the ways of the Nephilim – a race of half angel half human beings who protect the mundane society from demons and rogue Downworlders – so he could become one himself.

"Oh, alright... I wasn't aware he had an English assignment," the girl said before stepping out of the doorway to allow Isabelle to enter the house. "Simon! Your friend is here!" she called down the hall.

Isabelle could hear the sound of a door opening and a moment later Simon appeared in the living area and looked straight at her.

"Isabelle... why are you here?" Simon asked, merely curious.

"I'm here to help you with our English assignment," Isabelle said, giving Simon a look, hoping he would play along.

"Oh, right, come on," Simon said after a moment's hesitation.

Isabelle followed Simon down the hall to his room and closed the door behind her.

"Who was that?" she asked as she sat down on the bed beside Simon.

"Huh?" Simon said.

"Who was that girl?" Isabelle asked.

"That was my sister Rebecca. She's visiting from New Jersey."

"Oh... okay," Isabelle said as she looked down at the book Simon was currently reading.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Jace just smiled at Clary as the two of them practiced with the blades.

Last time they had trained together, they had been working on their stamina and flexibility. This time, they were working on their attacks and defences.

"Nice try," Clary said with a smirk as she raised her blade to block Jace's attack.

She reached out and pushed against his chest, effectively making him stumble backwards while she got into a defensive position.

Jace just chuckled and he went to put the blade back with Clary staring after him.

"Do you not want to work on something else? Not all attacks involve weapons remember... and you may just be caught without a weapon at some point," Jace said, looking back over his shoulder.

Clary joined Jace a moment later and put her blade back before the two of them began working on attacks and defences without weapons.

Jace managed to pin Clary to the mat a few times – he had to admit, she was very skilled – but she currently had him pinned.

Her hands were wrapped around his wrists, pinning them to the mat and she was sitting on his stomach.

Jace was about to roll and pin Clary to the mat when suddenly her hands let go of his wrists and her weight was gone from his stomach.

He blinked and sat up just in time to see Clary dart out the door of the training room.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary ran to the nearest bathroom and threw the door open and ran to the toilet, not bothering to shut the door.

Just as she dropped to her knees, her lunch came back up.

A few moments later, Clary heard footsteps and she felt a warm hand on her back. Jace.

"Are you alright Clary?" Jace asked when she stopped throwing up, his silky voice laced with concern.

Clary just nodded slightly and leaned back against the wall.

Jace flushed the toilet before walking over to the sink to get a damp wash cloth.

He then walked back over to Clary and crouched down near her, handing her the wash cloth.

Clary just wiped her face before taking a breath.

"I don't know what happened," she said. "I just... I just suddenly felt sick."

"Maybe you ate something you shouldn't have," Jace suggested.

"Maybe..." Clary said as she thought about what could have caused her sudden wave of nausea.

"I think we're done with training for today," Jace said as he helped Clary to her feet.

Clary just nodded in agreement and both of them walked out of the bathroom.

**_-o-O-o-_**

After about an hour of thinking – and Jace constantly checking on her to make sure everything was alright – Clary had come to two possible conclusions.

One of those conclusions was she had eaten something bad for lunch.

The second conclusion – the one that scared Clary – came to her as she thought about her relationship with Jace; what she and Jace had done that night in the cavern and subsequently, many nights afterwards – one night in particular.

Magnus had thrown a party back at the end of April – the reason behind the party, no one knew – and afterwards, when Jace and Clary had left the party, they had gotten a bit carried away and as a result, they had completely forgotten about using protection.

Her second conclusion was that she was pregnant.

She didn't want to raid all the bathrooms searching for a pregnancy test so she simply got up off her bed, pulled on her sneakers and walked out the door.

As she walked out of the elevator onto the ground floor, she almost ran into Jace.

"Where are you going?" he asked, noticing she had her purse in her hand.

"Just out, I'll be back soon," Clary said.

"Are you sure? Are you alright?" Jace said, still worrying over what had happened earlier.

"Yes, I'm fine Jace," Clary said, flashing what she hoped was a convincing smile.

Apparently it was, as Jace let her leave the institute.

Clary walked along the sidewalk towards the main part of town.

This was going to be embarrassing, she thought. Probably the most embarrassing thing she'd ever done.

When Clary finally arrived where she needed to be, she paused and stared at the door before taking a deep breath and walking inside.

She walked up to the counter, her heart racing, and looked at the lady behind the counter.

"Could you show me where your pregnancy tests are please?" Clary asked.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary waited, drumming her fingers against the counter top in the bathroom as she waited for the results of the pregnancy test.

She had returned to the institute and – luckily – no one had seen her.

When she had asked for the pregnancy test, the lady behind the counter had given her what had appeared to be a disapproving look before mumbling something about teenagers and how they were irresponsible and didn't know what they were getting into as she showed Clary where the pregnancy tests were.

Clary had expected as much and she had to agree with the lady in a way. She and Jace never really thought about the outcome of the actions – they used protection; they shouldn't have to worry about unplanned pregnancy but then again, protection wasn't always reliable.

Staring at her watch, Clary realized it was a minute past the time the pregnancy test would be showing the results.

Slowly, Clary dropped her eyes to the pregnancy test.

Fear and nervousness shot through her.

She felt as if ice water was pumping through her veins.

The test read positive.

**A/N: And that's the end of this chapter! What do you think? I also have some questions that I need answers to so I can write the future chapters for this story.**

**First of all, this question regards Simon and his ascension. Simon is going to need a shadowhunter name... should he take Luke's surname (Graymark) or Jocelyn's surname (Fairchild) or should he get one of his own? If he should have one of his own, what should it be?**

**Secondly... Clary is pregnant... I know it's going to be a little while before we find out more about her baby but here are some more questions I need answered...**

**What gender should Clary's baby be? (There will also be a poll on my profile... vote on that too!)  
Name suggestions?**

**Review Please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I planned to have this chapter up earlier but I got sick and didn't have the time to finish and post it... I'm a bit better today so I got this up for you guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

_Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang._

Simon looked up as he heard the banging on the front door.

_Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang._

The banging came again and Simon got up and walked out of his room to answer the door.

He pulled the door open and standing in front of him was Clary – looking very flustered.

"Clary? What's up?" Simon asked.

Clary just walked into the house and Simon shut the door behind her, turning to see Clary pacing across the small living area, wringing her hands together.

"Why is this happening? I can't do this... why did this have to happen... why me?" she was mumbling.

"What are you talking about Clary?" Simon asked.

"How do I tell Jace? How will he react? Does he want this? What am I going to do?" Clary continued, her breathing increasing slightly and her voice rising an octave as she continued to pace across the floor, ignoring Simon.

"Clary... what are you talking about? What's going on?" Simon asked again, staring at his best friend as he began to grow worried for her.

"I'm not ready for this... I can't..." Clary said, running a hand through her messy red curls – it was clear that she had been running to Simon's house.

Simon just sighed and walked over to Clary and caught her wrist. He spun her around and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What are you talking about Clary? You're making no sense right now..." he said.

"How do I tell Jace? What do I do? I'm too young for this..." Clary said, her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

Simon could tell she was scared about whatever was going on.

"What do you need to tell Jace? Please talk to me... stop asking questions and tell me what's going on please," Simon said.

"I'm pregnant..." Clary said quietly – so quiet that Simon barely heard her.

"What? I swear I heard you say you're pregnant?" Simon said.

"I did... I am..." Clary said, louder this time.

"Wait... you and Jace..." Simon said, trailing off in a bit of shock.

Clary just nodded.

Simon shivered slightly and shook the thought from his head.

"I'm too young to be a mother..." Clary continued as she pulled away from Simon and sat on the couch.

"Okay... you did a pregnancy test? And it was positive?" Simon asked as he sat down beside Clary.

"Yes," Clary said.

"Did you see a doctor... or Magnus or someone that could confirm it? Pregnancy tests aren't always right... according to Rebecca anyway..."Simon said.

"I know... but... I haven't seen Magnus or anyone yet but I just... I'm showing signs Simon..." Clary said, finally letting the tears fall.

Simon just wrapped Clary in an embrace.

"I'm scared Simon... what will Jace say... what will my Mom and Luke say?" Clary asked.

"I don't know..." Simon said "The only way you'll find out is if you tell them."

Clary just took a shaky breath and wiped her hand across her face, brushing the tears away.

"You'll be fine Clary. You're strong... you always have been. You'll get through this and I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what," Simon said with a small smile.

"Thanks Simon. "You're the best," Clary replied with a smile. "I guess I better stop delaying this and get it over with," she continued as she pulled back from Simon and stood up.

"If Jace says or does anything to make you upset, let me know and I'll beat him up for you," Simon said.

Clary just laughed. "Thanks for the offer Simon, but I'm not going to sugar coat this... Jace has a lot more training than you and he would kick your ass."

"Good to know you have faith in me..." Simon said.

"You know I love you Simon," Clary said, quickly hugging Simon before she walked out of the living room and out the front door.

Simon just sighed and got up to go back to studying.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Clary slowly walked through the institute, searching for Jace. She assumed he would be in the training room but he wasn't so she continued to search until she found him in the library.

She walked over to him and sat down beside him. "Hey Clary," Jace said with a smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey Jace... there's something I need to tell you..." Clary said, taking a deep breath.

"And what would that be?" Jace asked.

"Promise you won't freak out?" Clary asked.

Jace just nodded. "Go on..."

"Remember the party Magnus threw back in April?" Clary asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah..." Jace said. "What about it?" he asked.

"Well... you remember what we did afterwards?" Clary asked.

Jace simply nodded and waited for Clary to continue talking.

Clary took another deep breath. "Jace... we got carried away... we didn't even think about using protection..." she said, trailing for as she noticed Jace pale slightly.

"You're not..." Jace trailed off, his voice unusually quiet.

Clary just nodded slightly. "I'm pregnant Jace... with your baby..." she said, her voice quiet now.

"But... I'm sure we used protection..." Jace said, dropping his eyes so he was staring at his hands as he thought back to that night in late April; _his hands on Clary, their lips pressed together, clothes coming off... no protection..._

Jace took in a shaky breath and looked back up at Clary.

"When did you find out?" he asked, his voice hardly a whisper.

"Earlier today, after I threw up... when I went out earlier, I got a pregnancy test and after I saw that it said 'positive'... I went and freaked out on Simon because I didn't know what you were going to think... I needed his reassurance... I mean... I don't even know if you want this... I don't know if I'll be able to handle it... I-" Clary said but Jace cut her off with a kiss.

Clary looked up at Jace. He was still paler than usual but he had a small smile on his face as he looked down at Clary.

"Listen Clary..." Jace started.

Clary felt her heart rate pick up as she listened to Jace, unsure of what he was going to say.

"I know you're not ready for this... I'm not really ready either and it's a bit of a shock since we haven't planned this but... I mean, Shadowhunters tend to live short lives and that means we do things earlier than mundanes... I'm sure we'll get through this..." Jace said.

"I still think I'm a bit too young for this Jace... I'm only sixteen... I'm sure Shadowhunters are a bit older than this when they fall... pregnant..." Clary said.

"That may be so but... you're strong Clary... I believe in you," Jace said, some of his colour finally coming back as he recovered from his shock.

Clary just smiled at Jace. "So... are you happy?" she asked.

Jace just smiled at Clary. "Yeah... we'll get through this Clary. Together," he said.

Clary smiled wider and just wrapped her arms around Jace, happy that he was being supportive and not freaking out.

**_-o-O-o-_**

"You've still got nothing?" Alec asked, looking up as Magnus walked into the living area of the apartment.

Magnus just shook his head slightly. "Unfortunately, no. I just... don't understand this," he said, looking down at the piece of paper.

Ever since it had turned up, Magnus had been trying to figure out who had sent it – he'd even gone as far as staring at the piece of paper for a while, trying to figure out whether or not he had seen the handwriting before and who it belonged to.

Tracking spells didn't work – nothing worked and that only put those close to Alec on guard, ready for an attack at any time.

Alec just sighed and got up, stepping over the cat that had been lying at his feet before walking around to Magnus.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out soon. I've survived a demon realm, I can survive whatever this threat is," he said, reaching up to kiss Magnus.

Their lips had just touched when the sound of the doorbell suddenly rang through the apartment.

Magnus moved away from Alec and went over to the door and pulled it open only to find no one there.

Once again, Alec saw Magnus bend over and stand up a second later.

"Another note?" Alec asked as Magnus turned around and shut the door.

"Yes..." Magnus replied as he stared down at the new note.

Alec walked over to him to look at it as well.

_If you wish to remain with your boyfriend so he can protect you, be my guest. I will just get to those closest to you. Choose your footsteps wisely Alexander, because I am watching and I will strike when the time is right._

"So now they're threatening my family?" Alec said, concern lacing his voice.

"They won't touch them Alec," Magnus replied. "They're safe in the institute and I think you will be too."

"It's not like I'm here all the time," Alec said. "I just... I don't know what to do right now Magnus... whoever this is has just threatened my family – they've threatened you... what do I do?"

"Go back to the institute... I can protect myself here from whoever this threat is... they're no match for the High Warlock of Brooklyn," Magnus said with a smirk.

"I don't want to risk them hurting you..." Alec said.

"You're torn, I know," Magnus said as he stared down into Alec's blue eyes. "You want to be here with me so you know I'm alright but you want to be with Isabelle and Jace as well... I'll be fine here on my own Alec and I'm not saying you can't be here, I'm just saying you need to be with your family as well."

Alec just nodded. "You're right..." he said. "I should probably go warn the others as well..."

"You do that," Magnus said. "I'll see if I can find anything linked to this note..."

Alec just nodded and reached up to kiss Magnus before he left.

The kiss was slow and sweet – filled with love and affection.

Alec pulled away a moment later and then went to head out.

He made sure he still had his dagger just in case something happened – a good Shadowhunter never went out without some kind of weapon.

He then opened the door to Magnus's apartment and he turned to smile at Magnus briefly before he walked out to head back to the institute.

**A/N: So... here's an interesting fact... Simon's ascension will be coming up in a few chapters! Three or four chapters at the most! So, with that said, I still need your suggestions for his Shadowhunter surname! Should it be Fairchild, Graymark or something else? Let me know!**

**Secondly, we still have a while before we find out much information about Clary's baby but your suggestions are appreciated and they will help me to decide, plan and write the future chapters for this story! So, what should the gender of Clary and Jace's baby be and what are your name suggestions? I've only received a few at the moment and I need more! I'm hopeless at coming up with names myself so your suggestions are appreciated! (There is also a poll on my profile regarding the gender of the baby so vote on that too)**

**Thirdly, who do you think is after Alec? Do you want to take a guess at the reason they are after Alec?**

**Finally... what would you guys like to see in this story? **

**Review Please!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The breeze outside was warm and gentle – it was nice.

Alec had his hands in his pockets as he walked up the street in the direction of the institute.

Thoughts and worries were buzzing through his head as he thought about the notes and his family. Someone was out there threatening him and the ones he cared about and he didn't like it. He knew that Shadowhunters risked their lives and often died young but he didn't want that to happen to the ones he loved.

Alec's blue eyes flicked across the street as a shadow moved at the end of an alley. Whatever – or whoever – it was, was hiding in the shadows out of sight.

Normally, Alec would've left it alone but with the current situation he was in, he felt like it would be better to be safe than sorry.

His hand found the hilt of his dagger and he wrapped his fingers around it before he crossed the street and made his way towards the alley, thankful he had a glamour on.

As he got closer to the alley, he could make out a small figure in the shadows.

Alec tightened his grip on the hilt of his dagger and lifted it slightly as he stepped into the alley.

Only a second later, he realized what he had seen.

Standing in front of him was a small person with fair skin. Her hair was almost as fair as her skin and when she looked up, her eyes were an odd shade of blue – they almost appeared to be a shade of violet.

Standing in front of him, was a faerie.

Alec lowered his dagger slightly but kept his guard up. "What are you doing here?" he asked, keeping his eyes locked on the faerie girl in front of him.

"Looking for you," the faerie girl replied with a smile that had Alec wanting to get away from her as fast as possible.

"And why are you looking for me?"

"Orders from the Queen," the faerie girl replied. The look on her face made Alec feel as if something wasn't right and only seconds later, he felt something collide with his head and then everything went black.

**_-o-O-o-_**

The sound of Isabelle's high-heeled boots could be heard coming down the hallway and before Jace could react, she had already throw his bedroom door open.

The door hit the wall and bounced back, swinging shut again but Isabelle threw her hand out to stop it.

"Is there a reason you just barged into my room?" Jace asked as he looked up, one eyebrow raised.

"No, I thought I would just come in here to annoy you," Isabelle replied sarcastically. Before Jace had a chance to respond – no doubt with a sarcastic remark of his own – Isabelle continued speaking. "Have you heard from Alec?"

"No, he's with Magnus," Jace stated lazily. "Why?"

"Because he's not with Magnus," Isabelle replied. "He left the apartment an hour ago to come here and he hasn't turned up."

"Maybe he's just having some time alone," Jace said.

"Or something could've happened to him... Jace we need to try and find him. He's not answering his phone and well, something could've happened."

"I'm sure he's fine Isabelle -"

"They got another note today!" Isabelle exclaimed. "Magnus told me what it said and I can't remember all of it but it mentioned something about striking when the time is right... Jace, whoever is sending those notes might have gotten to Alec."

Jace was off his bed a second later and he squeezed past Isabelle who simply stared after Jace for a moment before she followed him.

"Has Magnus got any leads on the notes?" Jace asked as he started preparing to find his Parabatai.

"No, but he's still trying. There has to be something we can do to help..." Isabelle's voice wavered slightly as she worried about her older brother.

"There is... we may not be able to track whoever the threat is but we can track Alec," Jace said as he opened the door to Alec's room and found the spare stele Alec always kept in his top drawer.

Holding the spare stele in his hand, Jace grabbed his own stele and drew a tracking rune on his hand and waited.

A few moments passed and nothing happened so he tried again as Isabelle just watched, hope written across her face.

After his third attempt failed, Jace tossed Alec's spare stele across the room and it bounced off the bed and onto the floor.

"Nothing?" Isabelle asked, her hope quickly fading.

Jace just shook his head. "He's still alive though... I'd know if he was dead," Jace said.

"Well I guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way," Isabelle said, quickly turning and leaving her brother's room.

Without arguing, Jace followed Isabelle and prepared to search for his Parabatai.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Alec became aware of a throbbing pain at the back of his head and he slowly opened his eyes.

At first, things were a little fuzzy but after a moment, he recognized his surroundings as the Seelie Court.

Alec went to sit up but as he moved, he felt something dig into his wrists.

With a hiss, he managed to turn his head enough to see that his wrists – and ankles – were bound with a thorny vine. He pulled at it in an attempt to break the vine but it was wound around too many times to be broken by a simple pull.

"There's no use in trying to escape," Alec heard a female's voice say.

His eyes glanced in the direction the voice had come from and the Seelie Queen stepped into his view.

Alec just ignored her and continued to move until he had managed to sit up against the wall.

"What do you want with me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the red-haired woman in front of him.

The Seelie Queen chuckled, the sound bouncing off the walls and she stared down at Alec.

Although her face showed no emotion, Alec swore he could've seen something flash behind her eyes – sadness maybe?

"You took Meliorn's life. I will take yours as revenge," the Seelie Queen replied, a twisted smile appearing on her face.

Alec pulled at the vines again, ignoring the fact that the thorns were digging into his skin. "You won't get away with this," Alec said through his teeth.

"But I already have," the Seelie Queen said. "They won't be able to track you here and I'm sure we're the last thing your dear friends will think about when searching for you. Just think about it like this... if you die now, you won't have to watch your friends fall later."

The Seelie Queen's voice was hard and cold as she spoke and it made a shiver run down Alec's spine.

"You won't get away with this," Alec repeated. "The Clave will find out and it will be the end of you."

The Seelie Queen just chuckled again. "You're such a silly young boy," she said, shaking her head. "By the time the Clave hear about anything, there will be no evidence that anything happened here."

Alec narrowed his eyes and did his best to ignore the pain in his wrists.

"You will regret this," Alec said. "Trust me."

**_-o-O-o-_**

Jace, Isabelle and Magnus had gone out to search for Alec and Clary had stayed back at the institute just in case he turned up there.

Even Luke and some of the pack members were helping in the search for Alec and in the hour they had been searching, they had found absolutely nothing.

"Damn it!" Jace exclaimed, punching the air in front of him.

He raked a hand through his blonde hair and let his eyes scan the area around him.

"What are we going to do?" Isabelle's worried voice asked from behind Jace.

"I don't know," Jace replied, turning to see Isabelle's worried face.

She was a strong girl but Jace could see how broken she was at the moment. She looked as if she would start crying at any moment.

Jace let out a long sigh and looked around once more.

"You know what... I'm going to see if the Seelie Queen knows anything," Jace said as he started heading towards the entrance to the Seelie Court.

"I'm coming with you," Isabelle said as she followed Jace.

**_-o-O-o-_**

Tree roots dangled from the ceiling as Jace as Isabelle made their way towards the throne room of the Court.

Jace didn't care that they should wait for a knight to come and get them, he just moved, desperate for information.

The entrance to the throne room soon came into his vision and Jace moved closer to it, slowing down as he neared the entrance.

Hanging on the rock was a curtain of thorny vines, dotted here and there with dark purple flowers.

Jace pulled a dagger from his weapons belt and was about to part the curtain when he heard the sudden sound of footsteps.

"Jace," he heard Isabelle's voice say urgently.

He took a step back and looked at her before he realized she was staring at something at the other end of the tunnel.

He turned around just in time to see a crowd of faeries heading straight towards them.

He dodged the first attack but felt the impact as another faerie barrelled into his side.

He lost his balance and fell to the ground, landing on the compacted dirt with a thud.

He rolled slightly and pushed a faerie off him before he swung the dagger out in an arc, making the faerie back up even further.

Jace scrambled backwards and managed to get to his feet.

He kept his eyes on the faerie crowd in front of him and as he stopped backing up, he noticed Isabelle had her electrum whip out.

"There's too many of them Jace," she said quietly, her eyes quickly raking over the crowd that was slowly approaching them.

"I know..." Jace replied as he held a seraph blade out in front of him. "Call Magnus and get him to get us out of here," he continued, just as a faerie launched itself at Jace.

Just like that, the crowd surged forward and Jace began moving, dodging some attacks while he swung his seraph blade around, wounding some of the faeries.

"Now Isabelle! Call Magnus!" Jace said, noticing Isabelle was just standing there.

It was clear that she wanted to fight – she wanted to help Jace but she knew she had to call Magnus.

Jace noticed her move back slightly and he saw her pull her phone out. He returned his attention to the fight.

A green-eyed faerie launched himself at Jace and collided with his side, sending him further into the crowd of rather angry faeries.

Jace didn't quite know what was going on but he quickly regained his balance and threw himself into the fight, his seraph blade glowing a bright white as he swung it around.

**_-o-O-o-_**

The phone continued to ring and Isabelle almost thought Magnus wasn't going to pick up.

Just as she was about to hang up to try again, Magnus's voice came from the other end. "Isabelle! Did you find Alec?" he asked, a hopeful tone evident in his voice.

"No," Isabelle said. "Jace and I decided we would see the Seelie Queen to see if she knew anything but when we got here, we couldn't get to the throne room. There's a huge crowd of faeries and apparently we've pissed them off. Jace is trying to hold them off now... we need you to get us out of here," Isabelle said frantically, her eyes searching the crowd of faeries for Jace.

"Alright... I'll open a portal and you two better be ready to get out of there," Magnus said before the line went dead.

Isabelle shoved her phone back into her pocket and grabbed the handle of her whip before she swung it around in an arc.

She launched herself into the fight to get to Jace. The light of his seraph blade was getting pushed further and further back.

A pain shot up Isabelle's arm and she looked down to see a few long scratches trailing down her arm, blood slowly seeping out.

She growled at the blue eyed faerie beside her. He was smirking which only ticked Isabelle off more and she threw a punch; it landed right on his nose.

With a satisfied smirk on her face, Isabelle continued to push her way through the faeries and when she was close enough, she grabbed Jace's arm and he looked over at her briefly, his seraph blade plunging into a faerie that had obviously gone too far.

When Jace looked back at Isabelle she nodded her head back towards where she had come from and started moving back through the crowd.

Jace and Isabelle broke free a moment later but the faeries were still trying to attack.

As Jace and Isabelle backed further away, the faeries seemed to calm down a bit but they stayed in defensive positions, some glaring, others just standing there like guards, ready to pounce at any given moment.

The familiar blue glow of a portal started coming from the wall to the left of Jace and with a quick glance at Isabelle he jumped through it, Isabelle hot on his heels.

**_-o-O-o-_**

The two shadowhunters landed on the soft green grass of Central Park and Jace looked up to see Magnus holding the portal open.

As soon as Jace and Isabelle were both through the portal, Magnus closed it just in case the faeries tried to follow.

"What happened exactly?" Magnus asked.

"We went to the Seelie Court and tried to see the Queen but the faeries came in and stopped us... it's like they didn't want us to go in there..." Isabelle said, shaking slightly.

Magnus sighed and looked down at the ground. "There's something going on..." he muttered to himself.

Jace walked over to Isabelle and wrapped and arm around her shoulders.

He could really see how broken she was right now. She wore a mask of worry and as he looked down at her, he could see tears rimming her eyes but not spilling over – yet anyway.

"We'll find him," he said. "No matter what Isabelle, we will find him. I won't stop looking and you know it. We'll find him."

**A/N: Review Please!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Two Weeks Later – July 2008

Two weeks had passed since Alec's disappearance and the Clave's hope of finding him was slipping and they had changed his status from 'missing' to 'presumed dead' – even the residents of the New York Institute were slowly starting to lose hope but they continued searching nonetheless.

The Shadowhunters had called off the search for the night and Isabelle was sitting on her bed, her chin resting on her knees while she fought back the tears.

She'd already lost one brother and she didn't want to be losing another.

They'd been searching all day for the past two weeks and they hadn't found anything that could possibly lead them to Alec.

Memories that Isabelle shared with Alec started to flood her mind: Alec lying with her during a storm when they were younger; Alec teaching Isabelle how to hold a weapon; training together; fighting together; arguments they had shared...

Isabelle was pulled from her thoughts when her door shut with an audible click.

She looked up quickly and saw Clary standing in the room, a small baby bump visible underneath her pale blue tank top.

"What are you doing in here Clary?" Isabelle asked as Clary walked over to the bed.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright..." Clary said. "I know how hard this is on Jace and I can only imagine how hard it is for you."

And that was when the tears started to fall. Isabelle threw her arms around Clary and started sobbing into her shoulder.

"This can't be happening... Alec has to be out there somewhere," Isabelle sobbed.

Clary was slightly shocked by Isabelle's actions but she wrapped her arms around the taller girl in comfort.

"I know... I'm sure we'll find him... we just need a little more time," Clary said. "Alec is a fighter and I'm sure he's out there somewhere. I'm sure he's alright... trust me. You know everyone is doing everything they can and even if the Clave gives up, you know we won't."

Isabelle's sobs lessened but tears were still falling down her cheeks. "I know," she said, pulling away from Clary. "I just... I don't want to lose another brother... I've already lost Max and I just can't lose Alec."

"I know... Jace would know if something was terribly wrong anyway... he would tell us. Alec is fine... he should be fine anyway..."

Isabelle smiled at Clary and wiped away the tears that had slipped down her cheeks. "Thanks Clary... you know how to cheer someone up... and you're going to be a great mother..." Isabelle said before she got up to go to her bathroom so she could clean up and change.

Clary returned Isabelle's smile and stood up again. With a simple nod, Clary turned and walked out of the bedroom.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Clary felt happy that someone was supporting her with her pregnancy. Jace, of course, had been shocked but thrilled when he received the news and he had become over-protective of Clary – more so than before. When Clary argued with him about something or questioned his over-protectiveness, Jace simply responded by saying he was looking out for Clary and their unborn child – a future Herondale.

Magnus and Alec had been happy for Clary as well and Magnus seemed to be rather interested in Clary's pregnancy, always asking questions and helping her out with any problems.

Isabelle, as Clary had just discovered, was happy as well and thought that Clary was going to be a great mother – something that Clary herself doubted. She was still young and wasn't sure if she would be able to raise a child, continue her Shadowhunter duties and find time for everyone else that was important to her.

Isabelle's words of encouragement though had Clary believing in herself a little more.

Maryse and Robert were a bit shocked when Clary and Jace made the announcement but they came around and both were happy for Clary and Jace.

Jocelyn and Luke on the other hand had been a totally different story and their reaction was still fresh in Clary's mind.

As she walked down the hall towards the room that she now shared with Jace, her mind filled with the memory of Jocelyn and Luke's reaction.

_Clary and Jace were sitting in the living room of Luke's place, waiting for Jocelyn and Luke to return from the kitchen._

_Luke returned a moment later with a plate of sandwiches and Jocelyn was carrying a few mugs of coffee._

_The mugs of coffee and the plate of sandwiches were set on the coffee table between the two small couches and Luke smiled at Clary and Jace. "So... why have you two decided to visit today?" he asked as he picked up a sandwich._

_Clary simply looked at Jace, a series of emotions playing across her face. Jace squeezed Clary's hand in response and gave her encouraging smile._

_Despite her nerves, Clary turned to face her mother and Luke and she took a deep breath._

"_Well..." she began. "Please don't be mad or anything but... well... you see..." Clary stuttered._

_She took another deep breath and continued. "I know we're both really young and all but... one night while we were in the demon realm during the Dark War Jace and I... went a little further than normal during one of our... make out sessions... and then there have been other times..." Clary said, feeling her cheeks heat up at the awkwardness of the conversation. She knew that she could make this so much simpler but she was stringing it out and making things more complicated and embarrassing._

"_We... we normally used protection but one night...after one of Magnus's parties... well..." Clary trailed off at the look on her mother's face. Her mouth was a tight line and her eyes were narrowed._

"_I knew he was bad news!" She exclaimed, standing up from the couch and pointing at Jace. "I should've kept you away from him when I had the chance and now he's ruined your life!"_

"_Mom!" Clary exclaimed._

"_No Clary. I know what it's like to be a young mother and it is not easy! You should've been more careful! You should've stayed away from him," Jocelyn said, glaring at Jace who was clearly uncomfortable with the current situation. "You're a lot younger than I was when I fell pregnant with... Jonathan... and he was raised by Valentine! He won't be a good father!" _

"_Mom!" Clary shouted._

"_Jocelyn... calm down..." Luke said as he tried to make Jocelyn sit again. Clary could see the anger burning behind his blue eyes though and she was starting to feel a little scared._

_She was also upset at her mother's words but she bit back the tears._

"_You're wrong... Jocelyn..." Jace said, speaking for the first time since they had arrived at Luke's house. "I may have been raised by Valentine but I am NOT Valentine. I am my own person and I wouldn't ever think about hurting Clary or our child. I love Clary more than anything and our child will have a great life..."_

"_Enough!" Jocelyn exclaimed. "I don't trust you! You are merely a teenage boy and teenage boys cannot be trusted! You have ruined my daughter's life! You've made her a mother way too young because you can't control yourself!"_

_Clary stood up quickly, pulling her hand out of Jace's and stared at her mother angrily, her face heating up but instead of being red with embarrassment, she was red with anger._

"_Just stop it Mom! Jace cares about me and I care about him! We both love each other and if you can't see that, you must be blind! My life has not been ruined, if anything, Jace made it a whole lot better! Why can't you just be happy for me!?" _

_Clary felt Jace's hands on her waist and she calmed down slightly, but she was still glaring at her mother and her heart was still pounding in her chest._

"_You're too young for this Clary. If you must go through with this pregnancy, you'll be putting the child up for adoption," Jocelyn said._

"_I will NOT!" Clary shouted, stomping her foot angrily._

"_Yes you will. You are not eighteen yet and you will do as you are told."_

"_You can't tell me what to do! This is my child and I will be keeping it and raising it with Jace! I hate you!" Clary shouted before she pulled away from Jace and stormed out of the house._

_Jace had come out a moment later and he had chased after Clary who was already a good distance from Luke's house._

"_Clary!" she heard Jace call._

_She had stopped and turned around to wait for Jace. Once he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her and she immediately let the tears fall as she held onto the only person that could calm her down._

Clary reached up and wiped her face, only just becoming aware of the tears that were slipping down her cheeks.

"Clary, what's wrong?" Jace asked, appearing in the hall.

"Just thinking about my mother's reaction to our announcement," Clary replied, throwing herself into Jace's arms.

Jace sighed and gently stroked Clary's back before he pulled back slightly.

"I love you Clary... and I won't be leaving you, no matter how stressful this gets. I will stay by your side. Always," he said.

Clary smiled up at Jace and reached up to kiss him.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Two weeks, Alec thought. He had been stuck in the Faerie Court for two weeks and hadn't been rescued. He was certain his friends and family were searching for him though.

He was leaning up against the wall, drifting in and out of consciousness. He hadn't been sleeping much due to the fact that he didn't trust the faeries and he hadn't been getting much food or water – just enough to keep him alive so he could feel the pain as the Seelie Queen tortured him slowly.

"Why don't you just kill me?" Alec asked weakly as the Seelie Queen walked back into the room, something dangling from her hand.

"Because, Alexander, that would just be too easy," she said, a wicked smirk appearing on her face as she brought her hand up above her head.

Merely seconds later, Alec felt a stinging pain flare across his cheek and he hissed.

When he looked at the Seelie Queen again, he saw that she was holding a thorny vine and was using it as a whip.

After another few flicks of her wrist, Alec could feel blood trickling down his arms and cheek and he could feel the pain of thorns digging into his skin.

The Seelie Queen left, chuckling to herself and Alec leaned his head back against the wall.

It was starting to get cold in the Seelie Court, thanks to the fact that it was underground, and Alec shivered slightly.

He moved – very slightly – in an attempt to get a little more comfortable and felt something in his back pocket.

Despite the pain he was in due to the Seelie Queen's torturing, he moved around until he could pull the object out of his pocket.

It finally emerged from his pocket and he put it on the ground before he moved again to ease the pain the thorny vine was inflicting on his wrists – he still hadn't been able to break the vines due to the thickness of them.

When he looked back down at the ground, he realized he had pulled his phone out of his pocket.

He moved around so he could grab it and quickly managed to text someone before he hid his phone again.

He didn't know who he had sent the text to but he knew it would be someone that would get him help.

He didn't have much time to text so he typed two simple words.

_Fey. Help._

**A/N: And there is the end of this chapter! Sorry it took so long for me to update... I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter but I know what's happening next! **

**BTW, this is your last chance to submit your surname suggestions for Simon! His ascension is coming up! Fairchild? Graymark? Something else – Daylighter seems to be one you guys are suggesting a lot...?**

**Review Please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay guys... I've gone back over the previous chapters and I have edited them because I realized my dates were really wrong... (Thank you to AJ Granger for bringing this to my attention! When I saw your review, I immediately grabbed my copy of CoHF and mentally kicked myself like, a million times when I realized I'd messed up the dates!) I realized that, again, thanks to AJ Granger's review, if Clary had somehow fallen pregnant during that night in the demon realm, she would be about ready to give birth now... sorry for messing that up! **

**Anyway, it isn't exactly necessary for you to read over the previous chapters but you can if you want to. Basically, I have edited them so that Clary fell pregnant in late April after she and Jace got carried away after one of Magnus's parties and they forgot to use protection. Also... last chapter was set in July... not August... I totally forgot about July... oops...**

**Anyway... that's enough of my authors note... on with the next chapter!**

Chapter 7

Clary's phone was beeping on her dresser, notifying her that she had a text waiting to be read but she was currently focusing on Jace who was talking to her stomach – well, the baby in her stomach.

Clary laughed lightly as Jace mumbled things about the shadow world and how much he loved their baby and Clary.

"I'll teach you how to fight and everything... it will be so much fun," Jace said, leaning down, pushing Clary's shirt up slightly and placing a kiss on her stomach.

Clary simply ran a hand through Jace's blonde hair and smiled. "I know it's early on in my pregnancy, but what do you hope the gender will be?" Clary asked Jace after a moment, still ignoring her phone.

Jace sat up and looked down at Clary. "I don't mind," Jace said. "A little boy would be nice, but so would a little girl," he continued.

Clary smiled and then looked over at her dresser, now annoyed by her phone.

With a sigh, she rolled off the bed and walked over to her dresser to grab her phone.

She picked it up and froze when she saw who had sent her a text.

_Alec._

"Clary?" Jace asked after a moment, his voice bringing Clary back to reality.

She quickly opened the text and read it.

_Fey. Help._

Clary sucked in a breath and whirled around, almost smacking into Jace who had moved off the bed and was now standing right behind her.

"What is it?" he asked, his gold eyes searching her face, trying to make sure Clary was alright.

Clary simply turned her phone around and showed Jace the text.

"Fey. Help." Jace read aloud. He then looked up at who had sent the text. "Alec... no wonder the faeries attacked when Isabelle and I went to talk to the Seelie Queen when Alec first went missing," Jace said as he turned and took off out the door.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Jace quickly walked down the hall towards Isabelle's room and once he reached the closed door, he banged on it. "Isabelle! Get changed. We're going to get Alec," Jace said before turning and walking down the hall towards his room so he could change into his gear.

He heard Isabelle's door open and her voice rang out down the hall. "What?" she asked.

"I'll explain later. Just get changed into your gear and get your weapons," Jace said before he walked into his room.

As usual, it was incredibly tidy and he immediately went to grab his gear and then he changed.

"Jace... I want to help," Clary said from the bed.

Jace sighed and turned around before he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed beside Clary.

"You can't. Not out there anyway," Jace said, shaking his head.

"Jace... I'm not heavily pregnant. I can still help," Clary said.

Jace shook his head again. "You're pregnant. I don't want you out there..." he said.

Clary gave a frustrated sigh and Jace took her face in his hands. "Clary... I don't want to risk you getting hurt... or our baby. You need to stay here where it's safe. I'll be back soon okay?"

Clary sighed again although this time, it wasn't a frustrated sigh. "You better come back or else I'm going to tell this baby that you got your ass kicked because you didn't let me come and protect you," Clary said.

Jace chuckled and leaned in to place a brief kiss on Clary's lips before he stood up and headed off to get his weapons.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle moved quickly to get dressed in her gear and as she walked out of her room, she almost ran into Jace.

"Do you really know where Alec is?" Isabelle asked as they headed towards the elevator.

"Yes. I'm fairly certain I do. Clary got a text from Alec... Alec's phone anyway... and it said 'Fey. Help.' So I'm assuming he is somewhere in the Seelie Court. I mean, it would explain why the faeries attacked us when we went to see the Seelie Queen," Jace explained before he pulled out his phone to call Magnus.

"What do you want?" Magnus asked when he picked up the phone.

"We need you to make a portal. I think I know where Alec is. Basically, Clary got a text from Alec's phone saying 'Fey. Help.' And I think he's in the Seelie Court somewhere," Jace said before hanging up, not even giving Magnus a chance to reply.

Isabelle and Jace reached the ground floor of the institute and they were waiting there for a few minutes before Magnus finally arrived.

"Took you long enough," Jace said.

Magnus just narrowed his eyes slightly at Jace and then got to work on opening a portal.

"Do you want me to come and help?" he asked.

"No-" Jace started but Isabelle cut him off.

"I think that might be a good idea," she said.

"We don't-" Jace started again.

"Jace. We may not have time to call him to get a portal opened if this one closes. Just shut up and get through the portal."

Jace rolled his eyes but turned and stepped through the portal, followed by Isabelle and Magnus.

_**-o-O-o-**_

The tunnels leading to the throne room were the same as usual – covered in moss with tree roots dangling from the ceiling.

Jace, Isabelle and Magnus crept quietly along the tunnel, watching their steps and keeping an eye out for any signs of the faeries.

Jace's hand hovered over the hilt of one of his seraph blades and as the entrance to the throne room came into view, he closed his fingers around the handle and he drew the blade out of its sheath.

Jace, Isabelle and Magnus came to a stop outside the throne room and pressed themselves up against the wall, listening to what was going on inside.

Jace could hear a female laugh and he listened carefully, trying to pick out voices.

"You're a silly boy, aren't you?" Jace heard and he immediately recognized the voice as the Seelie Queen's.

"You won't get away with this... they'll find me..."

It was Alec's voice that spoke next, raspy and tired. Jace's seraph blade was blazing in front of him a second later and he hurtled through the thorny curtain, an angry expression on his face.

Isabelle and Magnus were right behind Jace.

"Step away from him before I hurt you," Jace growled, holding out his blade as he spoke to the Seelie Queen.

She spun around, slightly shocked, before a wicked looking grin appeared on her face.

"Well... I didn't believe you would actually turn up here but since you are..." the Seelie Queen started, her wicked smirk growing.

Jace kept his eyes on the Seelie Queen, waiting for her to continue. She didn't speak again though.

"Uh... Jace," Isabelle said.

"What?" Jace asked, his eyes flickering between the Seelie Queen and his Parabatai.

"Look," Isabelle said, her voice shaking slightly.

Jace turned his head only to see a group of faeries standing in the entry to the throne room, many wearing armour and bearing weapons.

"Ever since the Dark War, we've been ready for an attack and this, Nephilim, is considered an attack. You are in your gear and you are bearing weapons. You have made a threat and therefore, you better be prepared," the Seelie Queen said just as the crowd of faeries surged forward into the room.

Jace, Isabelle and Magnus spun to face the crowd of faeries and soon, the room was filled with the sounds of a battle.

Occasionally, over the sounds of weapons clanging together or people crying out because of an injury, Jace could hear Alec speaking to the Seelie Queen, threatening her and talking about how he would be rescued.

Jace swung his seraph blade at one of the faeries that approached him with a blade of his own and the clang echoed throughout the throne room. "If you don't give up now, you'll die," he said as he pushed against the faerie.

The faerie simply chuckled in response, pulled his sword back and spun out of the way before swinging at Jace again, his blade swiping across Jace's cheek.

Jace hissed and then swung his own blade, making the faerie warrior back up.

As Jace approached the faerie warrior, he noticed that quite a few were fleeing the throne room as they watched fellow faeries fall.

He swung his blade again and it sliced through the faerie's weak armour and the faerie stumbled backwards into the wall.

By this point, the room was fairly empty. Jace, Isabelle, Magnus, Alec and the Seelie Queen were now the only people in the throne room, apart from the dozen dead faeries that lay on the ground and the few injured faeries that were trying desperately to get away.

Jace turned around slowly and walked towards the Seelie Queen and Alec.

His breathing was steady and his eyes were focused as he got closer. All of a sudden though, the Seelie Queen had moved and picked up the blade of a dead faerie warrior and she was holding it between herself and Jace.

"I may not be much of a fighter myself, but I will use this if I have to," she said, pointing the blade at Jace.

"And I'm not scared of you," Jace replied. "I am here to get Alec, now let him go or I will be forced to take action.

The Seelie Queen just chuckled. "He is going to die. He killed Meliorn so I will kill him," she said, turning the blade so it was pointed at Alec, merely centimetres from Alec's chest.

The Seelie Queen then pushed the blade forward and Jace lunged forward, colliding with her side.

Jace heard Alec groan and he whipped his head around, hoping nothing serious had happened.

His eyes scanned over Alec and luckily, there was no wound near his chest. There was, however, a cut along his shoulder.

If Jace had tackled the Seelie Queen any later, Alec may not be breathing anymore.

Jace then turned his attention back to the Seelie Queen who was lying underneath him on the ground, half propped against the wall; the blade she had been using lying a fair distance from her hand.

Jace then stood up and put one foot on the Seelie Queen and an attempt to keep her where she was. He then held his blade out, the tip of it at her throat.

"You have caused a lot of trouble for the Nephilim... and therefore you have caused a lot of trouble for my family. You almost killed my Parabatai just now... give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," Jace growled, his gold eyes blazing.

"If you kill me, you'll have a lot more trouble," the Seelie Queen said.

"We face demons constantly... yes, you've caused a lot of trouble but no trouble is worse than the trouble demons cause," Jace said. "Promise me now that you will leave us alone or this will be the end of you," he continued.

The Seelie Queen didn't respond.

"Last chance," Jace said. "I'm growing impatient and I have a pregnant girlfriend waiting for me back at the institute. Promise me you will leave us alone or I will kill you."

The Seelie Queen smirked up at Jace. "Go ahead Nephilim. I dare you to," she said.

"I never back out of a dare," Jace said. "Goodbye."

With that, he thrust the blade forward, into the Seelie Queen's throat.

He pulled his blade back out, stared down at the Seelie Queen and then turned to go help Isabelle and Magnus with Alec.

Isabelle was cutting away the vines that held Alec's hands and ankles together and Magnus was attempting to remove some of the thorns that had embedded themselves in Alec's skin.

Jace dropped down beside his Parabatai and a look of relief washed over him as he pulled out his stele so he could draw an iratze on Alec.

"It sure took you long enough to find me..." Alec said tiredly, his eyelids drooping closed every now and again.

"Well... we couldn't track you... it wasn't until you sent that text to Clary that we knew exactly where you were. We've been searching ever since you went missing," Jace said, finishing off the iratze.

"And we would've found you earlier... but we were attacked... the night you went missing, we came here to ask the Seelie Queen if she knew anything but we couldn't get through..." Isabelle added.

Alec just sighed. "Well... she can't cause any more trouble now..." he said, glancing over at the Seelie Queen's unmoving body.

Jace and Isabelle nodded in agreement.

"Come on... let's get you back to the institute," Magnus said, reaching down to help Alec up.

**A/N: Review Please!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

By the time Jace, Isabelle, Magnus and Alec reached the institute, Alec was passed out in Magnus's arms – he had barely been able to make it out of the Seelie Court before he passed out.

Jace opened the door to the institute and Magnus walked in carrying Alec, Isabelle behind him.

Jace shut the door and then followed Magnus and Isabelle to the infirmary where Alec would be spending the night.

"I told you we'd find him," Jace said to Isabelle, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"I knew we'd find him... I was just worried... you know. I never doubted you," Isabelle replied.

Jace just smiled down at Isabelle and looked over at Magnus as he set Alec down on a bed before he glanced up at the clock. "It's 10pm... I think I'm going to put these away then go to bed," he said, turning to walk out of the infirmary with one last glance at Alec.

Jace walked off to clean and put away his weapons and then, after his weapons were put away again, he walked down to the room he shared with Clary and quietly opened the door to see Clary fast asleep on the bed, her fiery red hair spread out across the pillow.

Jace smiled and then silently slipped through the room, grabbing his pyjamas, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

He took of his gear and put it in the hamper before he stepped into the shower, switching on the water and letting the heat relax his muscles and calm him down after the fight he had just been a part of.

Once he had washed off, he switched off the water and climbed out of the shower, drying off and changing into his pyjamas.

He then hung the towel back on the rack and then he opened the bathroom door and slipped back into his bedroom.

As he walked over to the bed, he noticed that Clary was half-sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

"Did I wake you?" Jace asked as he climbed into the bed beside Clary.

"I heard the shower..." Clary replied sleepily. "Did you find Alec? Is he okay?"

"Yes, we found him... and he seems to be fine. He was beaten up a bit when we found him but he seems to be okay now... he's in the infirmary... I'll tell you more in the morning," Jace replied.

Clary nodded her head slowly, already falling back asleep.

"Get some rest Clary," Jace said with a small smile.

Clary simply made a small noise and her breathing became steady merely moments after she lay down again.

Jace lay down beside her and draped an arm over her waist before he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

_**-o-O-o-**_

When Clary woke up, Jace's side of the bed was empty and his pyjamas were folded neatly on his pillow.

'So he's already up,' Clary thought, rolling onto her back and stretching her arms above her head. She lay there for a few minutes before pushing the sheets off her body and getting out of the bed.

She walked across the room and went into the bathroom to brush her hair which, as usual, seemed to be uncontrollable.

After a good five minutes of trying to tame her hair, Clary pulled her red curls back into a ponytail and decided to go find Jace. She tried the training room first and then the kitchen. When she had no luck there, she decided Jace was more than likely in the infirmary with his Parabatai.

She grabbed an apple from the kitchen and headed off towards the infirmary.

Sure enough, she peered through the doors and Jace was sitting in one of the chairs beside Alec's bed, talking to Magnus who appeared as if he hadn't slept.

Clary walked over and stood beside Jace who immediately looked up with a smile. "Good morning Clary," he said.

"Morning..." Clary said, taking a bite of her apple. "How's Alec?" she asked, turning to look at Magnus.

There were a few faint lines on Alec's arms and cheek – no doubt from his ordeal in the Seelie Court.

"He's alright... he's healing well and should wake up shortly... he just needs rest," Magnus replied, glancing at his boyfriend before looking up at Clary.

"You look like you need rest," Clary said.

"I do... but I'll wait until tonight," Magnus replied.

Clary just shook her head slightly but left the matter alone. Magnus would do what he wanted and there wasn't really any way you could change his mind – especially when something revolved around Alec and his well-being.

"How did you sleep?" Jace asked Clary, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Pretty good," Clary replied. "What happened last night? Since I wasn't able to come..."

"Well basically... the Seelie Queen wanted revenge on Alec for Meliorn's death... she was planning to kill him slowly but... well, we got there in time to save him. There was a bit of a fight with the faerie warriors and a few of them died... others were injured and when the room was pretty much empty – due to the deaths and many of the faeries fleeing... the Seelie Queen tried to kill Alec..."

"And then Jace killed her," Isabelle said, walking into the infirmary.

Clary spun around to look at Isabelle. "Are you serious?" she asked.

Isabelle nodded. "Yep... he drove his seraph blade through her throat," Isabelle said.

Clary turned again to look at Jace. "I didn't kill her as soon as she threatened Alec's life... I tackled her so she wouldn't kill him and then I got pissed off... I tried to make her promise that she would leave us alone but she wouldn't," Jace said.

"And then you killed her," Isabelle said.

"She dared me to," Jace said.

"So?" Clary said. "You do realize the entire Faerie population will probably want to kill you now? Because you killed their Queen," she continued.

"That won't happen," Jace said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. He appeared as if he wasn't worried and that he believed his own words but there was something about his tone and the look that briefly danced across his face that told Clary otherwise.

"You're an idiot sometimes Jace," Clary said, shaking her head.

"I am not," Jace said.

"Yes you are," Clary replied, placing a hand over her barely-there baby bump.

"Please don't argue," Isabelle said. "Listen, I agree with Clary. The faeries will probably want to kill you Jace but I doubt it will happen. I mean, the faeries are no longer protected by the Accords and that means that if they cause trouble, the Shadowhunters can kill them. I doubt they would try anything... at the moment anyway," she continued, glancing between Clary and Jace.

"They could still attack though," Clary argued. "You're right. It may not be right away, it could be weeks or months before they decide to do anything but they will still do something eventually."

Isabelle just sighed and Jace went to talk but Clary held a hand up. "Don't say anything right now," she said, shaking her head. She then turned and simply walked out of the infirmary.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"You're an idiot Jace," Isabelle said once Clary had left.

"Shut up Isabelle," Jace replied.

"No," Isabelle said. "You should've thought before you killed the Seelie Queen."

"Why didn't you say anything to me last night then?" Jace snapped.

"Because I was too focused on helping Alec!" Isabelle snapped back. "And afterwards... well... you didn't really give me a chance to say anything."

Jace just sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, looking down and playing with the Herondale ring.

"Go talk to Clary... we'll work things out here," Isabelle said.

After a moment of playing with the Herondale ring, Jace stood up and headed out of the infirmary to search for Clary.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Clary – simply needing some time to think – had gone up to the greenhouse and was sitting on one of the benches, her hands gripping the edge and her head bowed forward.

Various scenarios played through her mind – all a result of Jace's actions in the Seelie Court last night; the faeries attacking the institute, the faeries going after Jace, the faeries harming their child... Clary shook her head, and drew in a sharp breath when she looked up and saw the familiar pair of gold eyes staring at her.

"Clary..." Jace said, slowly walking forward and taking a seat next to Clary. "Listen... please."

Clary let her eyes flick towards Jace and she let out a sigh before turning slightly, loosening her grip on the edge of the bench.

"I wasn't thinking last night and I know it was stupid to kill the Seelie Queen but... I mean... if it was me in Alec's position, Alec would've done the same thing... and I'm sure Izzy would've killed the Seelie Queen if she had the chance... I was just so worried about Alec and I was so pissed off at the Seelie Queen that I wasn't thinking properly at the time... if I had the ability to rewind time, I would... and I wouldn't have killed the Seelie Queen... I would've turned her into the Clave or something..." Jace rambled.

Clary let her hand rest over Jace's and she looked up at him. "I over reacted in the infirmary," she said quietly. "I mean... yes... you were an idiot but..." she sighed. "I'm sorry... just please be careful from now on... you may just have a faerie army coming after you..."

"The faeries aren't meant to carry weapons without permission from the Clave. All the faeries that tried to attack us in the Seelie Court were breaking the rules... they should all technically be killed..."

"You have no proof now though Jace... the Clave won't do anything if you don't have proof," Clary said.

"I know... I'm sorry about what I did... I truly am and I can see how worried you are," Jace said, reaching out and gently running his thumb over Clary's cheek. "But I won't let anything happen to you or our baby. I'll protect you with my life."

Clary simply leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Jace, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his neck. She felt his arms wind around her back and she sat still, not wanting to move.

She felt protected in Jace's arms; she felt as if nothing could harm her. She also felt as if she had the strength to protect him. Together, they were a team and Clary was certain that they would work their way through the new mess that Jace had created.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"Another six weeks and you'll be ascending," Isabelle said as she sat beside Simon in his room.

"And those six weeks are going to fly by..." Simon said.

Isabelle nodded. "Indeed..." she said. "And now that you're nearly finished with all the histories and everything, you'll be starting some serious physical training... I know you've started some physical training but it's going to be even harder in the coming weeks..."

"I know... it's crazy to think that in about six weeks I'll be like you though..." Simon mumbled. "I mean... two months ago, if someone told me about all this I would think they were crazy but now, here I am... learning about something many people don't believe in..."

Isabelle sighed. "Two months ago you would've thought people were crazy...yet about eight months ago, you believed in all this... and you knew everything... now you've got to learn it all again," she said, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall as she thought about her past with Simon.

"I wish I could remember my past with you Izzy... but I can't... I remember some things, as I've told you a million times... but I don't remember everything and I doubt I ever will remember everything... I know you're important to me though and that's all that matters right now... I'm glad that you guys showed up and spoke to me when you did because Isabelle... I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life," Simon said.

Isabelle let out a small smile and reached up to wipe her eyes, cursing her emotions. "And I don't know what I would do if you weren't a part of my life. Simon... you're the only guy I've ever met that makes me nervous... and when you forgot everything... I was a mess," she said, blinking back more tears. "And I don't know what I would be like if you didn't remember anything... I would've probably ended up locking myself in my room forever... kind of like I was planning to when... when Max was killed... but you remembered something... and now you're here... and you're a part of my life again... and I couldn't be happier," she continued, smiling over at Simon and wiping away the tears that had spilled over.

"Well..." Simon said. "I'm glad you're happy because someone like you doesn't deserve to be upset. Isabelle... I will do everything I can to make you happy for as long as possible."

Isabelle let out another smile. "You're so sweet... and that's why I like you," she said.

She had almost told him she loved him but she didn't want to push Simon into anything until he was ready. Yes, they had both admitted their love to each other but that was before Simon lost his memory. It was a heroic move but it came with consequences – consequences that Isabelle was willing to face if it meant she would eventually get to be with the man she loved.

**A/N: And there is the end of chapter 8... I had to put some Sizzy in there because... well... I feel like I've been leaving them out a lot... review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well... turns out I didn't have this on hold for long! Thanks to Alicefreak101 helping me, I managed to get inspiration and start writing this again! Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 9

After trying for what seemed like forever, Alec finally managed to open his eyes again and escape the darkness that had consumed him.

He gave his eyes a few moments to adjust and he found himself staring up at the white ceiling of the infirmary, the edges of the black runes on the wall just visible in his peripheral vision.

He blinked and when he opened his eyes again, someone was suddenly hovering over him.

Alec's eyes scanned the figure above him, taking in the tanned skin, glittery, gel-spiked hair and yellow-green cat eyes. It only took him half a second to realize it was Magnus.

"How long have I been out?" Alec asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Two days," Magnus replied, gently running a few fingers along Alec's cheek.

"Really?" Alec asked, moving so he could prop himself up on his elbows.

Magnus nodded. "Jace has been in and out of here... being an infuriating idiot... and if you ask me, he appears to be going slightly insane... and Isabelle hasn't really left that chair in the last twenty-four hours."

Alec turned his head to the other side and sure enough, he saw Isabelle asleep in the chair, her dark hair falling in tangles over her shoulder.

"What time is it?" Alec asked, turning back to look at Magnus.

"6am," Magnus replied. "And on that note, Jace will probably be in here soon..."

Alec nodded once and moved again so he was sitting up properly. Knowing Jace, he was probably up already and he was more than likely in the training room or the weapons room.

All Alec knew was that he had some choice words for Jace when he came in this morning.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Jace let yet another kick fly at the punching bag and he took a step to the side as the bag came swinging back towards him.

He felt that it was better to take his issues out on the punching bag instead of his family and friends.

He'd almost hit Isabelle yesterday morning when she brought up the faeries and their current actions and he'd yelled at Clary last night, simply because he had been so stressed out and wasn't in the mood for conversations.

That had resulted in Clary storming out of the bedroom and going back to her old room. She'd locked the door and refused to say another word to him. Jace was blaming part of it on her hormones but he knew it was also partially his fault. Clary hadn't done anything wrong and he had snapped.

He hadn't been thinking when he killed the Seelie Queen and the weight of his actions was finally making itself known.

He'd started a war between the Shadowhunters and the faeries – more so a war between the faeries and himself.

Jace was responsible for the death of the faeries queen and he would pay the ultimate price, so he thought, but the other Nephilim were suffering as well. The faeries had already killed two Shadowhunters in New York – Shadowhunters Jace hadn't realized were around.

He threw another kick at the punching bag and it swung off the hook and crashed to the ground with a thud.

Jace simply kicked at it once more before looking up to see Clary walk into the training room.

He watched her walk over to the basket that held the daggers and practice blades. She picked up a few daggers and turned to face the targets. She brought her arm back and tossed a dagger forward.

Jace watched it soar through the air and land in the centre of the target. He smiled slightly, knowing he'd taught her how to do that.

"Clary," he said, walking around the fallen punching bag and taking a few steps towards Clary.

She didn't respond, so Jace kept walking until he was right behind her.

She had just let go of the last dagger when he reached her. He reached over her shoulder and gently pulled her hair back over it. He felt her stiffen under his touch and he let out a sigh – it was evident that she was still upset with him.

"Listen Clary," he said, leaning down and resting his forehead on Clary's shoulder. "I'm sorry about last night. I was just stressed out and I didn't mean to yell at you. Can you forgive me?" he asked, lightly tracing a pattern on the inside of Clary's wrist.

"You really are worried about this whole faerie issue aren't you?" Clary said.

"More than anything... and that's saying something," Jace said. "I mean, I kill demons... I've confronted greater demons and demon armies; I've been bound to someone who wanted to burn down the world and turn Shadowhunters against each other... I've experienced a night in a cell in the Silent City... yet when it comes to faeries who want to kill me... I freak out. And here I thought you were the only person who could make me freak out..."

Clary turned in Jace's arms and looked up at him. "I forgive you..." She said after a moment and Jace smiled in return.

"Good... now what are you doing up here?"

"Training. Isn't it obvious?" Clary replied.

"You're pregnant Clary..." Jace said.

"Really? I had no idea," Clary said sarcastically. "I'm not going to do anything that will strain me Jace. I still need to keep up with some basic training though. Sure, after I give birth to our child and once I'm able to start training properly again, I'll have some catching up to do... but I can still practice with the targets at least."

Jace just looked down at Clary, his eyes searching her face. "Alright..." he said after a moment. "You won't be doing anything in a few months though... I won't allow it," Jace said. "And I mean, there's no need for you to do any training right now... as if I'd let you get within a mile of a demon or any danger."

Clary smiled slightly. "There's always a way something could slip through your defences Jace and I need to be able to defend myself if it comes to that."

"Fine..." Jace said. "But when I leave here, you're leaving too."

"Fine," Clary said, turning around and walking off to pull the daggers out of the targets.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle had woken up and was glad to see that Alec was awake but she had left to change and fix her hair.

Alec was talking to Magnus when Jace and Clary walked into the infirmary.

It was evident that Jace had been training before he came to the infirmary. He was breathing slightly harder than normal and he still wore his training clothes – a black t-shirt and a pair of loose cotton pants.

"Didn't shower?" Alec asked.

"No... I wanted to see how you were before I did," Jace replied, walking over to the bed. "Good to see you're awake..."

Alec simply nodded before he looked back up at Jace. "Hey Jace? Come here, I need to tell you something."

He watched as Jace took a cautious step forward. Once he was close enough, Alec raised his arm and smacked Jace across the side of the head. "You're an idiot," Alec said.

"What the hell?" Jace exclaimed, turning to look at Alec, shock plastered across his face.

"I meant to do that while we were in the Seelie Court but I wasn't strong enough to do it. You killed the Seelie Queen!"

"You seemed fine with it while we were in the court," Jace replied, rubbing the side of his head.

"I was tired Jace and I wasn't focusing on the severity of the situation! The faeries of the Seelie Court are going to be furious! They are going to want to avenge their queen! And sooner or later, word will spread to the Unseelie Court. They don't interact much with the outside world unless provoked and for all we know Jace, they could consider this a threat to their kind as well and we could have a full out war on our hands," Alec said, clearly growing angrier as he spoke.

Magnus just placed a reassuring hand on Alec's shoulder.

"You think I don't know that!?" Jace shouted. I've already been snapped at by Clary and Isabelle and now you've started! I know what I did was stupid but I can't take it back! Just stop... harassing me about shit that I can't change!"

Alec took a deep breath a stared at his Parabatai for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"I just hope we can find a way to fix this before it's too late," Alec finally said.

Jace simply nodded in reply before grabbing Clary's hand and walking out of the infirmary with her in tow.

"Is that what you meant by saying you think Jace is going slightly insane?" Alec asked Magnus once Jace was gone.

"Yes... he's shaken up about the whole ordeal with the faeries and there have been times when he appears to be scared of what might happen and we both know that fear is a rare emotion with Jace... and he's good at hiding it. It's evident that he understands the severity of what he's done and he understands that there will be consequences for his actions. It's driving him towards insanity..." Magnus replied.

"Don't worry," he added, obviously seeing the sudden, worried look on Alec's face. "We will find a way to fix this whole situation. The faeries are hard to deal with but they aren't entirely unreasonable. They may not listen to you Nephilim, considering one of your kind is responsible for the death of their queen and the fact that you have basically considered them an enemy of sorts... but they might listen to another Downworlders..."

"You're not suggesting that you're going to talk to them are you?" Alec asked.

"What other choice do we have Alec?" Magnus asked. "They aren't going to listen to you or the Clave or any other Shadowhunter. And the possibility of getting another Downworlder to speak on your behalf on this matter is highly unlikely. I may not like Jace very much but I know he's important to you so I'll help as much as I can."

Alec just shook his head slightly.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, when the faeries realize you're on Jace's side, there's nothing to say that they won't kill you. I don't want to risk that..."

"I wouldn't face them all at once Alec, I'm not stupid. Even I know there would be slim chances of me escaping alive if I faced all the faeries at once. I'll speak to a few and try and get them to see reason... If I can manage that, they could help convince others."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing Magnus. I really do..." Alec said.

"I do Alec, trust me," Magnus replied before leaning down to kiss Alec.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**I've mentioned this once before but I'm working on a Fanfiction collaboration with a few other very talented authors, so if you would check out the story and send a review, that would be awesome! The story is titled "City of Broken Heroes" and it can be found on TrueAngelofMusic1's profile! **

**Review Please!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jace was still a bit wound up about the whole faerie situation and Alec's reaction had only made the situation that much worse.

In an attempt to calm him down, Clary had decided to go for a walk. "Some fresh air will do you some good. It will help clear your head," she had said.

That was how Jace found himself walking through Central Park with Clary. It was late afternoon and the sun was blocked out by clouds, creating a slightly cool temperature.

Jace smiled down at Clary. "You know, it's nice to just be alone with you. And it's a nice afternoon..."

Clary smiled in return as she looked up at Jace. "See, I told you some fresh air would do you some good. I think this is the happiest I've seen you lately. You seem... carefree and..." Clary said, trailing off as she caught sight of something over Jace's shoulder.

"Jace, look out!" She suddenly exclaimed.

Jace whirled around just in time to see a pixie charging at him, a weapon in her hand.

Jace ducked, pulling Clary down with him. The pixie swung her weapon again– it appeared to be a bat or club of some sort – and Jace and Clary rolled out of the way.

The club hit the ground and the pixie turned towards Jace, completely ignoring Clary.

As Jace reached for a weapon, he noticed – from the corner of his eye – another few faeries approaching.

Jace swung his blade up at the faerie above him and then launched himself to his feet to face the approaching threat.

The approaching faeries swarmed out towards Jace and he realized there were more than he thought.

He blinked and raised his blade, pausing for only a brief second when he realized Clary was beside him, a dagger gripped in her hand.

His eyes briefly passed over her face and he took a deep breath, turning back to the threat. He didn't want Clary fighting but he didn't have the time to argue with her now. It would have to wait until later – if they made it out alive that is.

The thrill of the fight kept Jace going, as it always did. His blade collided with the faeries weapons – the weapons they shouldn't possess – and he was satisfied when it made contact with the faeries bodies.

A sudden scream forced Jace's attention away from the battle though. His eyes scanned the immediate area and soon fell on Clary who was clutching at her shoulder. Her dagger was on the ground and there was a dark stain spreading across her shirt – blood.

Jace sucked in a breath as he watched Clary drop to her knees, a pained expression appearing on her face.

She doubled over and before Jace could do anything, he felt a sudden, sharp pain across his back. Spinning around faster than he had before, he saw a faerie standing behind him, a long-sword in their hand.

Ignoring the pain, like always, Jace launched himself back into the fight, glancing over at Clary every now and again. In doing so, Jace allowed himself to be distracted and the faeries used that to their advantage, landing hits whenever Jace's attention wasn't on them.

Jace felt something hit his shoulder and he thrust his blade to the side, sending it through the armour of one of the faeries.

Occasionally, Jace's vision would blur and then come back into focus and he was starting to feel the true pain of his injuries.

He blinked a couple of times in an attempt to clear his vision and he noticed the faeries retreating.

He forced himself to move forwards towards Clary and he dropped down beside her. Dropping his blade on the grass, he pulled out his stele and placed the tip of it on Clary's skin where her shirt was ripped.

He traced the familiar pattern of an iratze onto her skin and then lifted his stele before looking down. The dark lines faded into Clary's pale skin and only part of the wound seemed to close up.

Despite the dizziness Jace was feeling, he tried another iratze, only for it to have no effect.

Jace shoved his stele back into his belt and did the same with his blade before he reached down to pick Clary up.

Once he was able to support her, he stood up properly and started making his way back to the institute.

The sun was setting and the sky was filled with various shades of orange, red and pink. Jace let out a shaky breath, knowing that more danger came with nightfall. If he didn't make it back to the institute soon, he would risk running into demons and he wasn't in any condition to really handle that.

Despite the fact that his ankle was hurting and he was feeling dizzy, he pushed himself forward, along the sidewalk. He weaved between the mundanes and dodged the cars as he crossed the streets.

The light was quickly fading and stars were starting to appear overhead when the institute finally came into view.

Jace pushed himself forward and the gates opened up.

He made his way across the courtyard at the front of the institute and managed to get the door open.

It creaked as it slowly opened and Jace had barely taken a few steps inside when he felt a sudden, strong wave of dizziness.

He stumbled and dropped to his knees before closing his eyes in an attempt to stop the dizziness.

When he opened his eyes again, the dizziness hadn't gone away and his vision was still slightly blurry.

The room seemed to sway and Jace could barely make out a few approaching figures before he passed out.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Alec heard the institute door creak open and, with a glance at Isabelle, he got up and made his way towards the front door.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Magnus and Isabelle following.

The foyer soon came into view and Alec saw Jace on his knees, cradling Clary in his arms.

Just as he started descending the stairs, Jace swayed and his arms gave way, causing Clary to fall to the ground just before Jace did.

Alec, Magnus and Isabelle broke into a run and came to an abrupt stop just beside Jace and Clary.

Isabelle went to shut the door and Alec dropped down beside Jace. Now that he was closer, he could see Jace's injuries.

Bruises were forming on various parts of his body, he was covered in scrapes and his ankle was swollen and appeared to be twisted at an odd angle.

He immediately pulled out his stele and placed the tip of it on Jace's skin before tracing an iratze.

"What the hell happened?" Isabelle asked, appearing beside Alec.

"I don't know, but it doesn't seem good," Alec replied, staying focused on the iratze.

Slowly, Alec noticed some of Jace's bruises start to fade and some of the scrapes started to heal.

With a sigh of relief, he turned to look at Clary. Magnus was already hovering over her and Alec had to move slightly to look at her.

His eyes immediately fell on her shoulder which was covered in blood.

He glanced up at Magnus and noticed the confused look on his face. "What's wrong Magnus?" he asked.

"It's just... she seems to have faerie poison in her... I haven't heard of this for decades..." Magnus replied.

"Faerie poison?" Isabelle asked. "I didn't even know that existed."

"It's uncommon... faeries haven't used poison in decades and for some reason, you guys don't seem to learn about it. I guess because it's so uncommon, the Clave doesn't feel like you need to know about it."

"Well... is she going to be okay?" Isabelle asked.

"She should be... I just need to get an antidote put together," Magnus replied, carefully picking Clary up.

Alec picked Jace up and they headed to the infirmary, placing Jace and Clary on the beds.

"Isabelle, get some bandages for Clary's shoulder. Alec... I need you to find these," Magnus said, writing something on a piece of paper before handing it to Alec.

Alec nodded and headed off to find the things that Magnus needed.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Magnus helped Isabelle with the bandages and about fifteen minutes later, Alec returned with the stuff Magnus needed for the antidote.

He took the stuff from Alec and told him to just stay in the infirmary and watch over Clary while he went to mix up the antidote.

It didn't take too long – ten minutes at the most – and Magnus was back in the infirmary.

He carefully added a few drops of the antidote to Clary's wound and waited a few moments before allowing Alec to try an iratze.

The black lines swirled out from the tip of Alec's stele and the wound closed up.

Considering the amount of blood Clary had lost, he also drew an amissio rune on her.

"Smart thinking," Magnus said, giving Alec a quick kiss before he went to check over Jace.

"So if Clary had faerie poison in her, that means they were attacked by faeries," Alec said.

"Exactly. It's not very safe for Jace to be out at the moment. I still need to talk to the fey and try to plead his case. The more he goes out, the more he'll get attacked and the worse things will be," Magnus said.

"Yet if he hadn't killed the queen, none of this would be happening," Alec said.

"I know... he's irrational sometimes and when on a high from a battle, he often doesn't think straight. I know he regrets his actions but he honestly didn't have a reason to kill the queen. I mean, yes, she tried to kill you and yes she was sanctimonious bitch but he could have simply turned her into the Clave... I will plead his case to the fey though. I've said that enough times lately that you should know that I mean it. I will make sure Jace is once again safe," Magnus said passionately.

"You know... I think this is the first time I've ever heard you speak so passionately about Jace. You normally just ignore him or speak about him in bored tones," Alec said.

"Well... he normally does make me bored... and he annoys me with his whole 'I'm better than you' attitude... much like his ancestor Will but he is important to you and you are important to me. And in case you haven't noticed... I am kind of warming up to him..." Magnus said.

Alec just smiled. "That's good," he said.

Magnus smiled at Alec and walked around the bed. Seeing the worried look on Alec's face, he spoke.

"I've told you so many times Alec, I won't let anything happen to him. I will talk to the faeries and he will be safe again."

With that, Magnus kissed Alec once again.

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter was a bit shorter than normal. I was going to put some Sizzy in here, but I just couldn't think what to put. BTW, I made a reference to another fandom in this chapter! Can you find it?**

**If you can guess/name the fandom and the line/words, you will get a sneak peak at the next chapter!**

**If you can guess/name the book in which the line came from, you will get a sneak peak at the next chapter AND you can ask me any question about the future of this Fanfiction and I will have to answer! (So long as you have an account of course)**

**Review Please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay... so some of you guys took a guess at the reference I made in the last chapter and they were good guesses but none of them were right... In the last chapter, I referenced the Vampire Academy fandom. The reference was where Magnus called the Seelie Queen a "sanctimonious bitch". (In Vampire Academy - Spirit Bound, Rose Hathaway calls Queen Tatiana a sanctimonious bitch. Good guesses though guys!  
**

**Anyway, on with the chapter!**

Chapter 11

A few days had passed since the faerie attack in Central Park and Jace had woken up not long after he arrived back at the institute and passed out.

Clary, on the other hand, hadn't woken up yet and Jace was growing slightly worried and he was blaming himself for her injuries.

"If I hadn't touched that stupid Seelie Queen, Clary wouldn't be like this right now," Jace said, running a hand through his hair. "This is all my fault. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa..." he muttered, running his thumb over the back of Clary's hand.

"It's not your fault Jace," Alec said, despite the fact that it kind of was Jace's fault.

"Yes it is," Jace said, his voice so calm it was kind of scary. "If I had controlled myself... if I hadn't killed the Seelie Queen, I wouldn't be the faeries 'most wanted' and Clary wouldn't be trying to defend me. That's why she got hurt! She was trying to defend me."

Alec just sighed. "You can't blame yourself for this Jace. Clary would defend you in any situation in which you were in danger."

Jace just looked at his Parabatai and back at Clary.

"What if something happened to our child?" he suddenly said after a few moments of silence.

"Magnus has already told you that he or she is perfectly fine," Alec said calmly. "You don't need to worry about that... Clary and your child are fine."

Jace just sighed and looked down at Clary. A few seconds later, he saw her eyelids flutter and they soon opened.

Jace smiled and leaned closer to Clary, tightening his grip on her hand slightly.

Clary glanced around the room and her eyes fell on Jace a moment later. Jace saw her relax but her body seemed to go stiff only seconds later.

"Clary... what's wrong?" Jace asked.

Clary pulled her hand out of Jace's and placed it over her stomach.

"Our baby..." she said, her voice barely a whisper. Jace just watched Clary for a moment and before he could blink, she was sitting up, both hands resting over her stomach. "Our baby..." she said, louder this time. Worry and fear were evident in her voice.

"They're fine," Jace said. "Magnus said so."

"He could be wrong... he doesn't know everything," Clary said.

"He knows a lot though," Jace replied. "I'm sure he would tell us if something was wrong with our baby."

Jace briefly glanced over at Alec and he only needed to look at Alec's face to know what he would say.

His expression clearly said "And you were worrying about that only moments ago."

Jace ignored that fact and went back to trying to sooth Clary who, as the minutes passed, was growing more and more worried about her and Jace's child.

When Jace seemed to be failing, he called out to Magnus who, thankfully, had spent the night at the institute. He appeared in the infirmary moments later.

"Clary's worried about our child. She thinks something might have happened," Jace said.

With a sigh, Magnus walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Clary's. "Listen Clary," he said, his voice softer than Jace had ever heard before. "Everything is fine. I've checked you over multiple times and I can't find anything wrong with your child. I don't think the poison had enough time in your system to do any damage."

Clary seemed to visibly relax but there was still something slightly stiff about her posture. "If you want, I'm sure we can get one of the Silent Brothers to come and check you over. I'm sure they would help, it's part of their job anyway."

Clary gave a quick nod and her green eyes flicked towards Jace, who caught her anxious gaze. Despite the fact that Clary had been a part of the shadow world for almost a year, she was still evidently nervous about being around the Silent Brothers.

Jace couldn't blame her though. They were creepy and terrifying.

Jace offered a small smile and watched and Magnus and Alec left the infirmary to contact the Silent Brothers.

_**-o-O-o-**_

After Magnus knew the Silent Brothers were preparing to come and check over Clary, he decided he would try and talk some sense into some of the faeries – after all, they were the cause of this whole mess.

If they hadn't kidnapped Alec in the first place, they wouldn't have lost their queen and more importantly, if they hadn't assisted Sebastian during the Dark War, they wouldn't have been shunned by the Clave and there wouldn't have been a reason for them to want revenge.

Magnus gave Alec a quick kiss before turning to leave the institute. "Be careful," Alec said.

Magnus smiled and turned again, walking out of the institute and into the streets of New York. His first task was to locate one of the faeries and, knowing the fey, they could be anywhere and it could quite possibly be hard to find one of them.

After taking a breath, Magnus started heading down the street in search of at least one faerie.

The streets of New York were crowded with cars and buses and people crowded the sidewalk, hurrying in and out of stores and businesses, either heading out for lunch, coming back from lunch or simply doing daily activities.

Magnus weaved through the crowd and, deciding that it was far too busy at the moment, he headed into Taki's – A Downworlder diner.

All the faeries seemed to have disappeared after the Dark War so Magnus wasn't surprised when he found himself being served by a warlock instead of the usual faerie waitress.

Magnus simply ordered a milkshake of some sort and leaned back in the chair, observing the other Downworlders in the diner. Towards the back of the place, there was a group of young werewolves, apparently quite eager about the raw meat the diner served.

A few warlocks wandered here and there but it was the table at the very back of the cafe – on the far right – that caught Magnus's attention.

Sitting at the table, a large book in her hands, was a faerie. Even from his spot at the front of the diner, Magnus could tell that she was fey. Magnus rose from his chair and strode across the diner towards the table the faerie sat at.

He saw her look up and, obviously realising that Magnus was approaching her, she started to quickly pack up her things.

Before she could get too far though, Magnus stopped at the table and leaned forward, resting one hand on the table while the other gripped the back of the faerie's chair, effectively trapping her in her seat.

"What do you want, warlock?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly as Magnus leaned forward.

"I just want to talk to you. I mean you no harm," Magnus replied, removing his hand from the back of the chair before sliding into the seat opposite the faerie.

The faerie watch Magnus with scrutiny. "And what is it you wish to talk about?" she asked, her thin lips pressing together in a hard line.

"First, I would like to know what you know about Jace Herondale," Magnus said.

"He killed our queen!" the faerie shouted, effectively gaining attention from every Downworlder in the diner. Giving them all a hard look, the faerie returned her attention to Magnus, her face holding a hard expression. "He killed our queen and he shall feel our wrath."

"And what exactly is your wrath? What do you plan to do to Jace?" Magnus asked.

The faerie gave Magnus a hard, cold look, clearly not appreciating his prying questions, but, since she couldn't lie, she spoke the truth. "We plan to kill him, just like he killed our queen. He will suffer and die painfully."

"Did you ever think that maybe Jace had a reason when he killed your queen?" Magnus asked.

"He had no reason! She did nothing wrong!" the faerie said sharply. "He is a Nephilim and just like the rest of them, they are murdering monsters. They have no mercy and obviously cannot forgive others for their mistakes. I know the ways of the Nephilim and they are clearly not a kind and forgiving group of people. They don't think, they just act," she continued, a hostile tone seeping into her voice as she spoke.

"And that's where you're wrong," Magnus said. "I know you cannot lie, and I know you speak what you believe is the truth but Jace did have a reason when he killed your queen. You may not see it as a valid reason but it was a reason to him. You see-" Magnus started to explain but the faerie cut him off, standing abruptly in her seat and swiftly gathering up her things.

"I do not want to hear it. I know that you wish to explain but Jace Herondale is a murderer. If you say I may not see his reason as a valid reason to kill our queen, then you are more than likely right. You, Magnus Bane, have had much to do with our kind and you know how we think. Jace Herondale shall pay the price for his mistakes and if you are not careful, you might be in the firing line as well. If you wish to survive, you should stay away from Jace and anyone associated with him."

With that said, the faerie quickly left the diner, leaving Magnus sitting alone, confused and caught off guard.

Magnus was only sure of one thing: the faeries were planning something huge.

_**-o-O-o-**_

After half an hour of freaking out about her child, Clary soon found herself staring up at Brother Enoch, one of the oldest Silent Brothers she knew of.

As always, Brother Enoch's appearance made Clary feel awkward and uncomfortable but she remained calm as Brother Enoch came to stand by the bed.

_I heard that you were involved in a faerie attack and were poisoned. Is this correct?_ Brother Enoch's voice echoed through Clary's head.

She nodded once and gently rubbed her small bump.

_I see. Well, Clarissa, I shall check to make sure everything is alright. I understand that Magnus Bane has done his best and he believes that everything is just fine. He is a very powerful warlock and his judgement is quite good but nonetheless, I will double check, alright?_

Clary nodded again and with that, Brother Enoch did what he had to do. Clary turned to look at Jace who was simply smiling back at her, the chip in his teeth visible.

Considering the fact that Brother Enoch was quite experienced, it didn't take him very long to conduct his examination.

_Well, Clarissa. Everything seems to be just fine with your child. You are quite fine as well. Magnus has done an exceptional job at healing you. I am glad I was contacted though. Faerie poison is quite a rare thing nowadays – so rare that many have forgotten that it even exists, or has existed. Cures are difficult to come by now so you are quite lucky to have Magnus around for without him, I'm not sure how things would have turned out._

Clary smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as she patted her stomach.

Jace reached over and rested a hand on top of Clary's and they both smiled at each other before Brother Enoch's voice echoed through Clary's mind.

Looking at Jace though, Clary knew Brother Enoch was also talking to him.

_I have some more news as well, if you would like to hear it._

"And what news would that be?" Jace asked, looking over at the Silent Brother.

_I can tell you the gender of your child, if you wish._

Jace looked down at Clary again and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to know, or do you want to keep it a secret?"

Clary thought for a moment glancing between her stomach, Brother Enoch and Jace. "I want to know," she finally said after a moment's silence.

"Alright. Tell us Brother Enoch," Jace said.

_Well, Clarissa, Jonathan. Congratulations. The newest Herondale shall be... a little girl._

**A/N: And I just had to end it there! Sorry! Anyway, you guys voted and yes, many of you wanted Jace and Clary to have a little boy and some of you wanted them to have twins but, by a few votes, it was decided that they will have a little girl! Sorry to disappoint some of you...**

**Now... now it's time for you guys to start voting on/suggestion names for the youngest Herondale!**

**So far, these are the suggestions I have: Makenna, Quinn, Lyssa, Alexis, Haley, Amatis, Tessa, Celine, Melody, Maya and Olivia.**

**Feel free to review more name suggestions or vote on the ones listed above (You can combine the names so there is a first name and a middle name too!) I'm also putting up a poll that will have all the name suggestions. I will add to the options as new suggestions come in!**

**Review Please!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The day had passed and soon found herself once again lying in her own bed.

Jace was lying beside her, tracing patterns on the back of her hand while he talked animatedly to their child, even though she couldn't hear what was being said.

Both Jace and Clary had been incredibly happy when they found out they were going to have a little girl and Jace had immediately taken to calling her his 'little warrior princess' and began talking about how she was going to be one of the best female Shadowhunters of her time.

"I think she will look like you," Jace said, looking up at Clary.

"By the Angel, I hope not," Clary replied, propping herself up on her elbows. "I don't want her to be cursed with my curls. They're hard to control at the best of times... and well..."

"Stop," Jace said, smiling slightly. "You're beautiful Clary and if our little warrior princess looks like you, she will be just as beautiful."

Clary smiled. "I hope she has your eyes," she said suddenly. "I mean, their so unique and well, just imagine if she had your eyes."

Jace just smiled before returning his attention to his and Clary's child. "You'll be an amazing Shadowhunter," he said. "I know you will. I mean, I'm your father..." he chuckled as Clary playfully slapped his arm.

"Don't be so self-centred," she said, smiling.

"I'm not," Jace chuckled.

"Yes you are."

Jace laughed and returned his attention back to his unborn child, mumbling various things about the shadow world. "There are so many stories that you would love to hear... you'll experience some of the things I have but there are others things that are kind of once in a lifetime events. The past year has been a rather crazy one for the Shadowhunters and a lot of the time, I was at the centre of everything... I can't wait to tell you all this... when you'll understand..."

Clary continued listening to Jace until she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

_**-o-O-o-**_

When the morning came, Isabelle found herself standing outside Taki's, waiting for Simon. They had planned to meet up for breakfast and in spite of herself, Isabelle felt nervous.

This was technically her first date with Simon since the events of the Dark War and everything was different now. If the events of the Dark War hadn't happened, Isabelle wouldn't feel so nervous but considering they had confessed their love before Simon lost his memory, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Many questions drifted through her mind; what if he fell for someone else while she was desperately trying to get back what they had before? What if it took forever to get back what they had? How was she going to deal with waiting for Simon to come around again?

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Simon approached the diner. He was in his usual jeans and t-shirt.

Isabelle wasn't the biggest fan of Simon's outfit but she ignored that fact and offered him a smile.

"Hey... I was starting to think you forgot about today... that or you decided to ditch me," she said as they walked through the doors and into the diner.

"No... my sister is visiting from New Jersey and I had to help her bring some stuff into the house... that and I had to make sure she wouldn't find any Shadowhunter stuff."

"Ah... I still have to meet your sister..." Isabelle said.

"You've never met her?" Simon asked.

"No. I believe she was in town a few times but I never got the chance to meet her... I guess we weren't so serious back then but..." Isabelle said, trailing off. She didn't want to think about her past with Simon right now.

Isabelle walked over to a spare table and she and Simon sat down and picked up a menu, scanning over the items listed.

After a few minutes, a waiter – a warlock with sky blue hair – approached the table and took Isabelle and Simon's order.

"At least they serve human food here," Simon said after the warlock left to prepare his and Isabelle's order.

Isabelle laughed. "Well, at least you didn't freak out about the other food on the menu," she said.

Simon laughed slightly and smiled at Isabelle.

'_He will be mine again one day' _Isabelle thought, smiling back as she stared at Simon, her eyes taking in all of his features – the dark eyes, the hair that tumbled over his forehead; everything.

The waiter returned with Simon and Isabelle's food and walked off again without another word to serve someone else. He clearly wasn't interested in making conversation with a Shadowhunter and an ex-vampire mundane, soon to be Shadowhunter.

"The blueberry pancakes are quite good," Isabelle said as Simon began to eat his pancakes.

Isabelle watched him smile before she began to eat her omelette.

"How's your studying going?" Isabelle asked after a moment of silence.

"Good... those books on demons are a bit frightening though..." Simon replied.

"They are... I remember reading them for the first time. I was eager to learn because I wanted to fight like everyone else but knowing all that stuff scared me a little, to be honest. Once you face them though, it gets a little less terrifying."

"I guess it would," Simon said.

"You shouldn't be so nervous though. You've face demons before. You've helped bring them down... you've walked through a demon realm which, obviously, was filled with demons."

"I don't remember doing any of that," Simon said, looking down at his plate.

"I know... but hopefully you will one day... and you'll realize why a lot of people admire you. You'll realize why I see you as a hero."

Isabelle saw Simon's face lit slightly as he gave a small smile.

"Some of the runes are quite complicated," Simon said after a moment.

"They are... but you'll get the hang of them once you start using them. Just keep practicing with a pencil... they'll be simple soon."

Simon gave Isabelle another small smile and they continued to talk throughout breakfast and before they knew it, they were leaving the diner.

"Thanks for meeting up with me this morning," Isabelle said as she and Simon walked down the street, away from the Taki's.

"No problem. It's nice to hang out with you... I hope I can remember our past Isabelle. I really do. I can see that you're happy around me but I can see that you're also upset and maybe even a little uncomfortable when we hang out. I know it's because we aren't the same as we were before. I don't know if we ever will be the same but I really do hope we can get back what we had. I hate seeing you this way and I'll do everything I can to fix it. I'm trying to remember. I really am and I promise you, we will get back what we had, even if it's not quite the same," Simon said, stopping to face Isabelle.

Isabelle could feel the smile that was slowly appearing on her face. "Don't push yourself," she said after a moment. "You don't need to rush things. I mean, you've already got a lot going on with your ascension coming up... I'm just happy that you know who I am and I'm happy that you want to spend time with me. That's all that matters right now."

It wasn't exactly the truth, but she didn't want Simon pushing himself to remember things.

Simon offered Isabelle a smile and he linked his hand with hers as they continued walking down the street.

When it came time for the two of them to part ways, Simon turned to face Isabelle. "I had a nice time this morning. It was a nice change from all the reading and studying. Thank you for asking me to join you for breakfast."

"No problem," Isabelle replied with a smile. She was about to walk away when she felt Simon, who was still holding her hand, tug her forward.

"Really. Thank you," he said, leaning down. His lips lightly brushed against Isabelle's cheek and then he pulled back, letting go of her hand.

Isabelle smiled and watched Simon turn to walk away. The pieces were slowly starting to fall back into place. It was definitely going to take a while before they were back the way they were but they were one step closer now.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"I believe that Magnus Bane is trying to protect Jace Herondale. He would stand beside the Nephilim and fight us," the faerie said, addressing the others that stood in the Seelie Court. She had taken control of the court for now, until a new queen was selected.

It was hard for the fey to stand there, knowing it was where their queen had been murdered, but they stood still and listened, knowing that their queen would soon be avenged.

"He spoke with me yesterday, against my will, and he told me that he believed the Herondale boy had a reason to kill our queen."

Shocked gasps and whispers could be heard throughout the court.

"He had no reason!" A faerie with purple eyes shouted.

"I know. The Shadowhunters are an unforgiving bunch, as we have learned throughout the years. They do not think, they just act. They get caught up in their fighting and they kill without reason. If they believe someone needs to die, they act on that alone. Jace Herondale and anyone that tries to protect him will feel our wrath and the Shadowhunters will realize just how dangerous we can be. They will learn that they don't control us."

A chorus of cheers sounded throughout the court and after everyone had gone silent again, the faerie that had taken control spoke again.

"We know what we want to achieve and we know how we are going to do it. It won't be easy, I'm telling you that now, but if we want respect again, we need to work together. Some of us may die – many of us, probably – but that is the risk we need to take to avenge our queen and get our respect back among the shadow world. Now; who will help? Who will avenge our queen!?" The faerie said, raising her voice towards the end.

The court was silent for a moment before shouts of dedication erupted from the crowd of faeries.

Before the Shadowhunters knew it, they would be facing a danger unlike anything they had ever seen before.

**A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 12. I hope you enjoyed it! I know it's a bit shorter than normal but hey, it's a chapter. Don't hate me for it being short... **

**You guys seem to like the names Alexis and Celine! I've also had a few new suggestions come through, so keep voting either on the poll on my profile or in a review! The list of name options is now: Makenna, Quinn, Lyssa, Alexis, Haley, Amatis, Tessa, Celine, Melody, Maya, Olivia, Kyla, Cecelia and Aislinn.**

**Some of you have even suggested name combinations (first name and middle name) and they are: Alexis Tessa, Maya Celine, Melody Alexis and Alexis Celine.**

**Keep the votes and suggestions coming!**

**Review Please!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

August 2008

It was the start of August when Clary and Jace decided to tell the others the gender of their baby.

Everyone had gathered in the library and they were chatting animatedly until Jace got everyone's attention.

"Please tell me this is going to be something interesting and not boring," Isabelle said, leaning back in the chair she was sitting in.

"I'm sure you'll find it interesting," Jace said. "Anyway... we've been keeping this to ourselves for a couple of weeks and decided to share the news with you guys..."

"Okay... so what's the news? I know the announcement isn't that you're getting married, Jocelyn wouldn't allow it," Simon said.

Jace rolled his eyes at Simon then looked at Clary.

"When Brother Enoch came to check over me after the incident with the faeries in Central Park, he was able to tell us the gender of our baby." She flashed a smile at Jace before she continued. "We're having a little girl."

"Really?" Isabelle asked, clearly more excited than she had been when Jace and Clary first wanted everyone to gather in the library.

"Yes, really," Jace said. "She's our little warrior princess."

"Wow Jace, I didn't know you had such a soft side," Magnus said with a laugh, lazily draping an arm over Alec's shoulders. "I mean, nicknames or pet names like that don't seem like your sort of thing."

Jace just rolled his eyes.

"I may not be one to use nicknames a lot but our little girl will be a warrior princess. She will be the best Shadowhunter ever," Jace said.

"I never pictured you as the fatherly type Jace, and I've known you for a long while," Alec said. "But ever since you found out that Clary was pregnant, you've changed. It's nice to see a different side of you; one that's not sarcastic and all about killing demons."

"I'm still sarcastic and all about killing demons," Jace said. "But now I have other things in my life. I have Clary and I have a daughter on the way."

"Still... it's good to see another side of you," Alec said.

"Was that all you wanted us for?" Simon asked.

"Yes... that's all," Clary said.

"Well, congratulations... both of you," Simon said.

"Thanks Simon," Clary said, walking over to hug her best friend.

"No problem," Simon replied. "Well... I have to get back to studying... this ascension thing is insane..."

"I know... but you have all of us who are willing to help you," Clary said. "You're not alone in this, like most people are. Normally, one wishing to ascend would be left to study and learn without help but you have us."

Simon offered Clary a smile. "I know... and I'm glad I have you guys... anyway, happy birthday Clary... it was nice spending some time with you this morning."

Clary nodded and watched as Simon left the library with Isabelle following close behind. "By the way Clary, now that I know the gender of your baby, I will be taking you shopping... and I may or may not throw a baby shower..."

"Please don't," Clary said.

"Too late... I'm already going to," Isabelle replied, quickly walking out the door after Simon before Clary could try to refuse again.

After a moment, Clary felt Jace rest his hands on her shoulders. "Come on," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "I've got a surprise for you."

Clary turned to look at Jace but his face gave nothing away. He simply looked at her with a smile before he slid his hand down to hers.

Entwining their fingers, Jace started to lead Clary out of the library.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Jace led Clary up to the greenhouse – a place that was special to their relationship. It had been the place of their first kiss and subsequently it had been the place of many of their dates.

The green hedges, jewel coloured flowers and the stone bound rock pool gave the area a romantic feel but it was at midnight when the real magic happened. It was when the midnight flower bloomed and there was something about the moment that was just romantic; magical.

Jace led Clary through the greenhouse, weaving between hedges and plants until they came to the spot he had set up near the rock pool.

He had laid out a picnic blanket and brought up some of Clary's favourite food so they could have a late lunch together, considering Clary had been out with Simon and Isabelle for the morning.

He had also brought some flowers up and put them in a vase.

"Late lunch?" Jace asked, leading Clary over to the picnic blanket.

Clary smiled at Jace and nodded. "I think a late lunch is perfect."

Both Jace and Clary sat down and Jace opened up the picnic basket while Clary placed her fingers in the water of the rock pool, gently moving her hand around so she didn't splash the water out.

"Don't worry, Isabelle didn't touch any of this," Jace said as he pulled out some of the food.

Clary laughed. "Do you think she'll ever be able to cook?"

"I don't know... maybe... one day... but I will not be testing the food to see if it tastes good... someone else can do that. I'm not going to risk dying because Isabelle put poison in the food instead of sugar or something," Jace said.

"She's not that bad. She wouldn't mistake poison for sugar," Clary said.

"Alright... maybe she wouldn't... but she still can't cook. Her food can still be deadly."

Clary laughed and looked down at the food Jace had set out. There was pasta, some fruit and some biscuits.

"Unlike Isabelle, I can cook... with Maryse's help... but that's beside the point. I made this so, like I said earlier, no need to worry about being poisoned," Jace said.

Clary smiled and picked up one of the containers that held some of the pasta. "This smells good... that's one thing... the question is does it taste good?"

Clary picked up a fork and started to eat, as did Jace.

Before they knew it, they had finished lunch and were just talking. Jace had packed up the picnic basket and moved to sit beside Clary.

"I got you something..." Jace said, pulling a small, wrapped box out of his pocket.

He handed it to Clary and waited for her to unwrap it.

Clary turned the small gift over and pulled at the paper, tearing it off and letting it fall into her lap.

She found herself staring at a dark blue box. She glanced at Jace before lifting the lid of the box to reveal a silver ring. It was an infinity heart ring and engraved on the inside of the band was writing that said "You're mine, I'm yours."

Clary pulled the ring out of the box and smiled up at Jace. "I love it," she said, sliding it onto her finger.

"Good," Jace replied with a smile. He then leaned closer to Clary and pressed his lips to hers.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"How do you memorize all these runes?" Simon asked, flipping through a copy of the Gray Book. "There are just so many..."

"It can be difficult to memorize them all but you'll get it. Once you ascend, you'll start using the runes a lot and you'll soon have all of them memorized. It'll be easy," Isabelle said.

Simon sighed and closed the book, tired of reading. He had been reading the book for about an hour now, constantly going over the runes, drawing them on paper and trying to remember what each rune was used for.

"There are more runes than what is in the Gray Book as well..." Isabelle said. "Because Clary can create them... either that or she sees runes that exist but are not recorded in the Gray Book... runes that have been lost in time or something."

"You're joking right? This is so much work..."

"Being a Shadowhunter is a full time job," Isabelle said. "We don't have time for mistakes. You're lucky that you have us to help you."

"Yeah... sorry for complaining..." Simon said.

"So, what weapon do you think you'll use when you ascend?" Isabelle asked.

"Well, considering I have a lot of experience in archery, I think I might use the bow and arrow... of course I will have to learn how to use other weapons but I think the bow and arrow would be my go-to weapon," Simon said.

"Just like Alec... I'm sure he'd be willing to teach you different things... if you need help that is..."

Simon nodded. It was clear that he was studying hard and Isabelle decided to give Simon a break from studying and talking about the Shadowhunter world.

"Tell me a story," she said.

"What?" Simon asked, surprised by Isabelle's command.

"Tell me a story... I don't care what it is, just tell me a story," Isabelle said. She honestly didn't care what story Simon told her, she just wanted to have his attention and if he started talking about Star Wars, she would be able to give him some facts, considering Simon had already told her that story before he lost his memories.

Simon gave Isabelle a smile and began telling her a story.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Robert Lightwood stood in front of the Clave members that had gathered to hear what he had to say.

"I've been told that there is a problem with the faeries in New York. A few young Downworlders and a couple of our own kind have been killed and it has been reported that some have seen the faeries carrying weapons. There has been a threat against the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute and I say something needs to be done about the situation before things get too out of hand," he said.

"Who would allow the faeries to carry weapons after they aided Jonathan Morgenstern in the Dark War?" one of the Shadowhunters said, standing up. "They could try to kill us all!"

"No one allowed the faeries to carry weapons," Jia Penhallow said, using her authority to silence the crowd which was slowly growing noisy with objections. "The fey are illegally carrying weapons and must be stopped."

"How do we know that this is the truth?" another shadowhunter said. "For all we know, this could be a lie."

Jia sighed. "It is true. The Silent Brothers were contacted a couple of weeks ago to check over Clary after she suffered from a faerie attack. We even have a witness here if you wish to hear him speak of the situation."

The crowd of Shadowhunters murmured in agreement and Jia called for Alec to step up.

Alec, who had been quietly sitting in the background, approached the dais and turned to face the crowd. "What is being said now is true. The faeries are carrying weapons and it appears they are planning some kind of uprising. They held me in the Seelie Court for two weeks and after I was rescued, they have been staging various attacks around New York and my Parabatai seems to be the main target. Shadowhunters can do a lot and if we band together, we are stronger. We have tried to face the fey on our own but we aren't having much luck stopping them. We need your help. Please, I don't want anything to happen to my Parabatai and we've lost enough Shadowhunters with the Mortal and Dark Wars, we can't risk losing more because we are outnumbered," Alec said, his blue eyes scanning the crowd.

None of the Shadowhunters objected to Alec's speech and, after a few moments, Alec returned to his seat and Jia took over.

"We will organize a group of Shadowhunters tonight. They will arrive at the institute tomorrow morning," Jia said to Alec before addressing the entire group of Shadowhunters.

"Who is willing to aid the Shadowhunters in New York?" she asked.

After a moment of silence, a few Shadowhunters stood up, agreeing to help. Once about ten Shadowhunters were standing, Jia decided to close the Clave meeting. "Those willing to help the Shadowhunters in New York, meet me around the back and I will give you a more detailed explanation of the situation in New York. Everyone else is free to leave."

With that said, the Shadowhunters stood and went their separate ways. Some went around the back to talk with Jia, some left the building to return to their houses in Alicante and others headed towards the Portal where Robert would allow them to return to the various institutes they were staying in.

"Look after yourself and the others Alec. Be careful," Robert said as his son approached the portal.

"I will," Alec replied, giving his father a nod before he stepped through the portal.

**A/N: And that's the end of this chapter! Review Please!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Put away the seraph blades and electrum whips! It's been a month since I updated this story, I know! I started typing this chapter up right after I updated last time but I got about 200 words in then got stuck! And with school and all, I've just been so busy that I haven't had time to sit and think about this chapter until now! I spent about 4 hours sitting here focusing on this and I finally got it done! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 14

The night had been fairly calm but when the morning arrived, the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute were just a little anxious.

"So there will be members of the Clave staying here?" Jace asked Alec for the sixth time that morning.

"I've told you that a million times already Jace. Stop asking," Alec replied, growing impatient with Jace's constant questions.

"It's just... going to be strange and awkward. I mean, I'm glad they know about what's going on and I'm glad they are willing to help us but it will be a little strange having other Shadowhunters here. It's been just us for so long and we don't even know who these people are that will be staying with us," Jace said.

"It won't be that strange Jace. All active Shadowhunters are a part of the Clave. It's not like these guys are spies or some highly respected, judgemental member of the Clave. If it will make things any less 'strange and awkward' for you, we know at least one person," Alec said, turning around, no longer in the mood to hear more of Jace's constant questions and mumbling.

"Who?" Jace asked as he Parabatai began walking away.

"You'll see..." Alec said.

Jace frowned at his Parabatai's retreating form and sat down on the overstuffed red armchair that had been sitting by the fireplace in the library for as long as he could remember.

He hadn't been seated long when the creaking sound of the front door echoed through the halls of the institute.

Jace rose from the armchair and walked out of the library, deciding, for once, to show some respect to the Shadowhunters who had come to his aid. Jace wasn't the type of person who thought he needed help – he believed he could conquer things on his own – but the fact that these Shadowhunters had come to his aid when he truly needed it made him decided to show some respect.

Jace soon appeared in the foyer of the institute and saw the crowd of Shadowhunters standing there, being greeted by Maryse and Alec.

Maryse had only recently heard about the faerie incidents as Jace hadn't wanted to worry her. When he realized that he needed help though, she had been informed and word had then been sent to Idris.

Jace heard a chuckle come from Alec and as he approached the group of Shadowhunters, he realized why.

Beside Alec stood Aline Penhallow, an old friend of Jace, Alec and Isabelle.

Aline was laughing slightly, which was nice to see, Jace thought. Aline hadn't had much contact with the New York Shadowhunters since the Dark War but when she did make contact, she never sounded very happy, considering her girlfriend – Helen Blackthorn –had been sent off to Wrangel Island to study the wards indefinitely because she was half-faerie. The Clave would further investigate the matter at a later date but until the investigation was concluded and a decision agreed upon, Helen was to stay studying the wards.

Aline had promised to follow Helen to Wrangel Island and she had, only to find herself being brought back to Idris a few days later. The Clave didn't trust the faeries after their involvement in the Dark War and they had already lost far too many Shadowhunters to risk the life of another.

"It's good to see you smiling, Aline," Jace said, walking up to the dark-haired girl and wrapping an arm around her shoulders for a brief moment.

"And it's good to see you alive. What did you do to the faeries to make them want to kill you?" Aline asked as Maryse and Alec began showing the other Shadowhunters to the rooms they would be staying in.

"I'd rather not talk about that right now..." Jace mumbled. He knew that the other Shadowhunters would eventually find out but he wasn't quite ready to tell them yet and he wasn't exactly ready to experience Aline's reaction.

Jace watched Aline as she gave him a frown, obviously wanting to know what had gone on between Jace and the faeries. She shrugged it off after a moment and Jace led her to the room she would be staying in while she was at the institute.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Two days had passed since the other Shadowhunters had arrived at the New York Institute and things had slipped into a normal routine again.

Alec didn't feel as if things were strange and awkward. Sure, he found it a little odd to have so many people in the institute, but it wasn't strange. Institutes were sanctuaries for Shadowhunters and they were constantly being encouraged to travel. This was the way an institute should be.

He smiled politely as he passed one of the Shadowhunters in the hall – a girl probably no older than he was with dark red hair. She gave him a nod in return but said nothing as she continued walking.

Alec continued to make his way through the institute halls and he stopped by Clary's room to see how she was. "How are you feeling Clary?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

Clary, who was sitting in the centre of the double bed with her sketch book perched upon her lap, looked up when Alec spoke.

"Fine, thank you Alec," she replied with a smile. "Just trying to figure out how I want to design the nursery for our little girl," she continued, gently placing a hand over her stomach.

Alec gave a small nod. He wasn't too good with that sort of stuff. "I'm assuming you've got multiple ideas."

"Yes. That's the problem. I like one thing and then another idea shows up and it's just so hard to figure out what would be best. I'll need to talk to Jace about it. Hopefully he will be able to help me make a decision..."

Alec had walked over to the bed and glanced down at Clary's sketch book. "Writing on the wall?"

"Pictures too. I've seen a lot of people do that sort of thing and I think it's really sweet. Just a little something special in the room to make it unique, you know?"

"Magnus's idea of unique is changing his living room every other day," Alec stated.

"I know... and that's why I don't want his help. If it was anything else, I would probably ask him for his opinion but when it comes to decorating, he would probably tell me the more glitter, the better and then he'd want to change things every day. I'd more than likely end up with something from Blue Ivy's room or something."

"Blue Ivy?" Alec asked.

"Beyonce's daughter," Clary replied.

"And who is Beyonce?"

"She's a singer," Clary replied, rolling her eyes.

Alec was about to speak again when sudden shouts could be heard down the hall. Alec moved away from Clary's bed and walked out into the hall, hearing Clary follow a few seconds later.

He walked in the direction of the shouting and as he rounded the corner, he found about half the Shadowhunters in the institute where standing in a group and many of them were raising their voices. They were all talking over one another and it was making it difficult to hear what was actually being said.

"What's going on?" Alec asked over the noise.

The Shadowhunters continued to argue – or whatever it is they were doing – for a moment longer until they finally became quiet, realizing that Alec had appeared. Maryse wasn't far behind.

Alec found a gap in the group of Shadowhunters and he found himself staring at Jace who, much to Alec's surprise, looked slightly frightened.

"Jace, what's going on?" Alec asked.

"I was talking to Isabelle about what's been going on lately because I just needed to talk and I couldn't find you... someone overheard and now they're all acting stupid."

"I'd watch what you say. We're here to help you," one of the Shadowhunters said. He appeared to be one of the eldest in the group.

"What in the name of Raziel would cause you to kill the Seelie Queen? It's not a surprise the faeries are coming after you," a female Shadowhunter said.

"Surely Consul Penhallow would've mentioned this if she knew about it. Obviously, this detail was known by you," the older man said, turning his steely gaze on Alec. "Why didn't you mention it when you addressed us all at the Clave meeting?"

Alec couldn't find the words to say and the older man gave him a curt look before returning his attention to Jace and the group of Shadowhunters that surrounded him.

"I'm sure Consul Penhallow will wish to talk to him," the man said, pointing a finger at Jace. He was clearly taking charge of the situation. "We'll organize something have him sent of Idris as soon as possible to speak with Jia."

Two of the Shadowhunters that had been standing in the group, listening intently to the older man, stepped forward and each placed a hand on Jace's upper arms before they led him away, no doubt so something could be organized to get him to Idris.

"You can't be serious about all of this," Alec said, finally speaking again.

"We are," the older man said. "This detail reveals much more than what we knew and new action will need to be taken. It makes this situation much more dangerous than we believed it was before."

With that being said, the crowd of Shadowhunters dispersed, each Shadowhunter going off to do something else and, no doubt, hoping to calm down after the new revelation.

After a moment, the only people left standing in the hall were Alec, Isabelle, Maryse and Aline.

Aline approached the Lightwoods carefully. "I know Jace wouldn't have killed the Seelie Queen without a reason. The others seem to believe he may be losing his mind or trying to separate himself from the Clave. They seem to fear he is becoming more like... like Valentine. I don't believe that though. I'll talk to my mother and although I can't promise anything, I'm sure she'll be willing to listen to Jace's side of the story. You guys are like family and my mother wouldn't just punish Jace without listening to what he has to say," she said before turning and walking back down the hall.

Alec watched her and he hoped that Aline was right. He hoped Jia would listen to Jace and he hoped that Jace would be free of punishment.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Magnus knew of the faerie situation and he knew just how bad it was. He still wasn't all too fond of Jace, but if anything were to happen to Jace, he knew it would upset Alec – his handsome blue-eyed boyfriend.

He didn't want to see Alec hurt and he was going to do all he could to help out with the situation.

It had been a while since the faerie situation started and Magnus decided that it was time to call in some more help from someone he knew would be there in an instant if it meant protecting friends or family.

He had received word on what was currently going on at the institute and he knew that Jace was being sent off to Idris to be questioned by Jia Penhallow – the consul. He wouldn't be surprised if Robert Lightwood – the inquisitor – had something to say as well.

Magnus picked up his phone of the kitchen table and scrolled through his contacts until he came across the one he wanted.

Without a second thought, he pressed call and lifted the phone to his ear.

**A/N: Alright, who do you guys think Magnus is calling? If you can guess correctly, you will get a sneak peek of the next chapter! (So long as you have an account that is, I can't really send sneak peeks to guest reviewers. Sorry guys!) **

**On another note, WE REACHED 100 REVIEWS! You guys are amazing! Keep the reviews coming!**

**Finally, please check out City of Broken Heroes! It's a collaboration story that is published on TrueAngelofMusic1's profile and it is really good! The authors are very talented and would love your support! I have mentioned this a few times, I know but still... the story is set after CoHF and although the characters are all OC's, they are well constructed OC's that are easy to fall in love with. **

**A basic summary of the story is the faeries have attacked the Shadowhunters and Downworlders of Anchorage and there are few survivors. The children have been sent to various places around the world and City of Broken Heroes follows the group that was sent to the Boston Institute. The fey never meant for there to be survivors and the children must ban together to keep safe but danger will always follow them.**

**I am working on this story with the other authors and in a few chapters, my chapter will be up. I'm not sure how long it will be (hopefully not long) but do check out the story! It is quite god so far!**

**Alright. This author's note has been long enough. Review please!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A portal had been opened in the institute so Jace could be sent straight to Idris and before he knew it, he found himself standing in the Gard.

Standing in front of him was Jia, wearing her usual, professional attire. Her face was drawn and tired and she gave a sigh when Jace approached.

"This way, Jace," Jia said, turning and leading Jace through the Gard to one of the rooms in the back.

Jace followed quietly and when Jia came to a stop outside one of the rooms, he glanced inside and saw a group of Shadowhunters standing around – no doubt highly respected members of the Clave. Standing in the centre of the room was none other than Robert Lightwood.

His dark blue eyes settled on Jace and he beckoned Jace forward.

Wearily, Jace stepped into the room and Jia shut the door. Jace sighed and faced his adoptive father, unsure of what to expect from the older man. Robert cared about his children – Jace included – but he didn't show it much. He could be cold when he wanted but there were moments when he showed his love for the children.

Jace didn't know whether Robert would shout or not and he kept his distance until Robert beckoned him further into the room.

Jace moved his feet until he was standing opposite Robert.

"With such short notice on this situation, we didn't have the time to organize a trial. This is the best we could do. There are witnesses here and that's all we really need," Robert said, addressing the entire room.

He took a step closer to Jace and lowered his voice so that only Jace could hear him.

"I know you've never been the murdering type – you don't kill without a reason – Jace and I would like to believe that is still true. I would normally trust your word alone but in this case, I must use the Mortal Sword on you."

Robert took a step back and Jace sighed as he caught sight of the sword behind Robert. After a brief moment, he held his hands out and Robert grabbed the sword. He placed the sword in Jace's hands then stepped back again.

"Alright. Jace, is it true that you killed the Seelie Queen?" Robert asked.

"Yes," Jace replied, the Mortal Sword drawing the truth out. He knew he wouldn't have lied if he was just questioned without the sword but he could feel the truth being forcibly drawn out anyway.

Jace heard gasps from the other Shadowhunters in the room and he fought the urge to tell them to shut up.

"And why did you kill her?" Robert asked.

"She kidnapped Alec and held him captive in the Seelie Court for two weeks. She had hurt him and had her people attack us when we went to rescue him. She threatened Alec's life and wouldn't promise to leave us alone. She dared me to kill her..." Jace said, unsure of how his information would be taken. "I was taking action to protect those I care about. I realize now just how stupid I was but the past can't be changed. There's no way for me to take back what I've done. It was a stupid, spur-of-the-moment decision and believe me, if I could change it, I would. I should have reported the Seelie Queen but in the heat of the fight I wasn't thinking straight. I regret my actions and I will accept whatever punishment you wish to enforce upon me."

"One small decision can cause a major change, as we see now," Robert said, address the whole room again. "We know the past cannot be changed so what's done is done. All we can do now is try to control the faeries."

"I hope you aren't planning on letting him go off unpunished, Inquisitor Lightwood," one of the Shadowhunters in the room said. "He may be your adopted son but he did commit a murder."

"The faeries are not protected by the accords anymore. Yes, Jace made a foolish mistake that has caused trouble and I won't be allowing him to go off unpunished. Murder normally results in a Shadowhunter being stripped of their marks or removing the entire family from our world. Depending on the severity of the situation, they may even be sentenced to death but considering the faeries are no longer protected by the accords, I see no need for such a severe punishment. And quite frankly, I believe that Jace is being punished enough already. He has the faeries wanting to murder him and he is now under scrutiny at the institute."

"Inquisitor Lightwood is right," A Shadowhunter said as Robert took the Mortal Sword away from Jace. "There is no need for such severe punishment and the fact that he is dealing with the faeries trying to kill him, I think he is being punished enough as well."

"He has murdered! What's to say he won't do it again!?" another Shadowhunter exclaimed.

Jace sighed, knowing this was going to take a while to sort out.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle was pacing across Clary and Jace's room while Clary sat on the bed, watching silently.

"I hope they don't decide to strip his marks," Isabelle said, nervously twirling her ink black hair around one of her fingers. "I've already lost one of my brothers and I nearly lost another... I can't actually lose another..."

"Surely your father wouldn't strip Jace of his marks..." Clary said, watching Isabelle as she continued pacing back and forth.

Isabelle stopped and turned to face Clary, fixing her dark eyes on the redhead. "He can't be soft just because Jace is a part of our family. He has to do his job properly or he'll be removed from his position and bring disgrace to our family name. As the Inquisitor, he can't be biased. He has to treat each case the same... he can't show favourites. He has to put his own feelings aside."

"You're thinking negatively Isabelle. Try to be positive. We can't doubt Jace... he won't be stripped of his marks. He'll come back... he has to..." Clary said, placing a hand over her stomach.

"I hope you're right Clary," Isabelle said, giving up on pacing. She walked over to the double bed that sat in the middle of the room and sat down on the edge, lightly running a hand over the cream-coloured quilt cover.

"I don't know how I'll cope if I lose Jace... he's been my brother for ten years. Losing Max was hard and if I had listened to him when he said he thought he saw someone climbing the demon towers, he would probably still be here today. If I lose Jace, I know he won't actually be gone... it's not like he'll be dead, but he still won't be around. We won't be allowed to have any sort of contact with him. He'll be a mundane... and it will all be my fault. I don't even know how Alec will cope if Jace is stripped of his marks..." Isabelle said, sobs starting to escape her throat.

"It won't be your fault Isabelle," Clary said, moving across the bed and putting an arm around Isabelle.

"I was talking to Jace about what happened in the Seelie Court. If I wasn't, the others wouldn't have heard and we wouldn't be in this situation."

Clary shook her head, some of her fiery curls falling down around her face. "It's not your fault Isabelle. The Clave would've found out sooner or later... and it wasn't your fault that Max died either. Isabelle, you need to stop blaming yourself." Clary's voice was gentle as she spoke.

Isabelle looked up and wiped away the few tears that had spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry..." Isabelle said, regaining her control. "There's just so much going on and I'm really worried about Jace. But you're right... we can't doubt Jace. We just have to hope he'll be able to come back to us."

Clary offered Isabelle a smile and pulled Isabelle into a hug that she happily returned.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Hours had passed since Jace was sent off to Idris and there had been no word on when he would be returning to the institute – if he was returning – and Clary was growing worried.

She didn't believe Isabelle's theories – she believed that Jace would be back – but various theories of her own began to bounce around in her mind. What if they decided to lock Jace up in the Silent City again? What if they gave him some weird sort of Shadowhunter punishment?

Clary shook her head and brushed her curls out of her face before heading down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

She opened up the refrigerator and scanned the shelves. On one of the middle shelves sat a few containers that held left-over Chinese food from last night. Clary reached into the fridge and pulled the containers out.

She laughed quietly to herself as she saw the top container – a container of leftover mu shu pork – had a note stuck to it reading _'Jace's Mu Shu Pork. Do not eat.'_

Clary looked through the other containers and decided to have the leftover chow mein. She grabbed a fork and sat down to eat.

Clary twirled some of the noodles around her fork and after putting it in her mouth, she decided to get up and get a drink. She eyed the coffee machine but settled for a glass of soda.

She was finishing up her lunch when she heard the front door creak open and voices started drifting down the hall.

She tossed away the container and put her fork and glass in the sink before curiously walking out of the kitchen.

It soon became evident that the voices were coming from the foyer and, as Clary walked out into the foyer a few minutes later, she saw two familiar figures standing there.

It was immediately evident that one of the people standing in the foyer was Magnus – his sparkly, colourful attire gave him away.

His companion was a girl – clearly taller than Clary – with brown hair. She wore a floral-printed dress and when she faced Clary, a delicate smile appeared on her face.

"Hi Tessa," Clary said with a smile.

"Hi Clary, it's good to see you again. Congratulations, by the way," Tessa said, gesturing to Clary's baby bump.

Clary smiled again and gently patted her stomach. "Thank you," she said. "Jace and I are really happy."

"I'm sure you are," Tessa said.

Clary stayed quiet for a moment before she looked around the foyer then back at Tessa.

"How did you get in?" she asked. "I heard the door but only those with Shadowhunter blood can get into the institute..."

Tessa let out a sigh. "I think it may be time I talk to you... all of you. Some details are things that all of you should probably know and other things are more private. I still have to speak with Jace as well, like I said at your mother's wedding... speaking of Jace, is he around?"

"That's actually why I contacted you," Magnus said, speaking before Clary could say anything.

**A/N: So the news has been going around for a while now... Constantin confirmed they are going to be turning TMI into a tv series! Although the movie was enjoyable, I think a tv series will do the books good because the world of Shadowhunters will be able to be explored in more depth and detail. **

**Do you guys think the tv series is a good idea and are you excited about it? And who do you want in the cast? Do you want the movie cast to return or do you want the roles re-cast? Let me know in the reviews! I'd love to hear your opinions!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while guys! I had this written when I updated the last chapter but with the end of my school year coming up, I've been so busy with assignments that I just haven't had the time to update! On another note, I am happy about the decision to turn TMI into a TV series. I would love for them to get the movie cast back because, I'm sure we can all agree that the movie cast was perfect! They had a few flaws, yes, ie Valentine had braids... but they were still perfect! Even if they recast though, I'll still give it a chance... what about you guys? Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 16

Tessa looked at Magnus and cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean that's why you contacted me?" she asked, her grey eyes fixed on the sparkly warlock in front of her.

"There's been some trouble here in New York and Jace seems to be at the centre of it all... he's the target," Magnus explained and Tessa felt her heart speed up a little.

"Continue..." Tessa said.

"Back in June, Alec was kidnapped by the faeries and while rescuing him, the Seelie Queen threatened Alec's life. Jace, being who he is, threatened the Seelie Queen back and he tried to make her promise to leave all of us alone. When she refused, Jace killed her. The faeries are staging some kind of uprising against Jace now," Magnus explained.

Tessa ran a hand through her hair and stayed silent for a moment.

"For someone who apparently can't stand the Herondale's, you seem awfully eager to help Jace," Tessa said.

"It's not that I can't stand them... some of the Herondale line have been good company... others just have a self-centred, cocky attitude – they are the ones I have trouble tolerating. My life though, Tessa, much like yours, has been entwined with the Herondale line for quite some time and Jace is a part of my life now. I may not like him all too well, but he is my boyfriend's Parabatai and I don't want to see him hurt."

"Fair enough," Tessa said before turning to face Clary. "And to answer your earlier question about how we got in here... you remember how, when I first met you at your mother's wedding, your mother said I was an... unusual kind of warlock?"

Clary nodded and stayed silent, waiting for Tessa to continue.

"Well... it's a bit of a long story, I guess," Tessa said. "You see... my father, like with all warlocks, was a demon. My mother on the other hand, was a Shadowhunter."

"That's impossible," Clary said. "Shadowhunters and demons can't have children."

"That's what we all believed but my mother was different... she wasn't marked. She had been raised as a mundane, unaware of the shadow world because the faeries switched her with a sick mundane child as revenge for raids. Because my mother was unmarked, she was able to conceive a child with a demon," Tessa explained.

"Because the angelic power in her blood wasn't as dominant and powerful as it would be if she was marked," Clary added quietly.

"Exactly," Tessa said. "I will tell you more of my story at a later date, before I leave here; I promise. Now though, we have a more important issue on our hands. Where is Jace?"

"He's been taken to the Gard to be questioned about killing the Seelie Queen," Clary said. "He's been gone for a few hours now and we've heard nothing. We don't know if they'll even send him back here."

Tessa just sighed again.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Jace was just sitting on one of the wooden chairs in the room, listening to the other Shadowhunters argue over his punishment.

He simply bent his head forward and ran his fingers through his hair.

Another five minutes passed and Jace was on the verge of jumping out of the seat and shouting at the other Shadowhunters when Robert's voice rang throughout the room.

Jace looked up as the other Shadowhunters quietened and he saw Robert standing in the centre of the room, his dark blue eyes glancing at each of the Shadowhunters until the room was Silent.

Robert simply stepped towards Jace who stood up as his adoptive father approached.

"Come with me, Jace," Robert said, turning and walking out the door.

Jace got up, glanced at the other Shadowhunters, and followed Robert out of the room. He wasn't going to hang around in a room of Shadowhunters that clearly wanted to shout at him. He simply wasn't in the mood and would more than likely end up in more trouble if he stayed.

"Do I get to go back to the institute?" Jace asked Robert.

"No," Robert replied, his answer quick and firm.

"Oh come on. You know I did what I had to. If I didn't, that bitch would've killed Alec! She-"

"Enough, Jace," Robert said firmly. All signs of paternal caring had disappeared. Robert was all business again.

"But-"

"The Seelie Queen did not actually take any action. She made a threat and should have been reported. If you had to hold a blade at her throat until other members of the Clave arrived, then that would have been fine. You didn't report the threat though and took action."

"She didn't take any action my ass!" Jace shouted, stopping. "She had a blade in her hand and nearly sent it through Alec's chest! The only reason Alec survived is because I slammed into her side and knocked her over!"

Robert turned to look at Jace and it was evident that he didn't appreciate the shouting.

"You need to calm down," Robert said firmly, gripping Jace's arm. "I know that Alec's life was in danger and you protected him but I can't argue with the rest of the Clave. Being the Inquisitor is my chance to redeem myself after what happened with The Circle. Now listen to me Jace. I believe you won't hurt anyone else but I can't let you go. If I do, I will be forced out of my position and the Lightwood name will be looked down upon, more than it already was. You should have still just reported the Seelie Queen and we would have dealt with her. If you had just reported her, even if you had to hold her captive, you wouldn't be in this position."

Jace rolled his eyes and tried to pull out of Robert's grip.

"Don't Jace," Robert said, keeping his grip on Jace's arm. He pulled Jace forward.

Reluctantly, Jace allowed Robert to pull him forward until they reached another of the back rooms.

Jace stepped into the room with Robert right behind him. Jace glanced around the room. It was clear that the room was used very often. One wall held a few dusty shelves, the chair in the back corner of the room was slightly broken, metal bars blocked the window and the wooden floor was covered with small dents – as if someone had stabbed the floor.

Jace turned to look at Robert. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked.

"Hand me your stele," Robert said, not answering Jace's question.

Jace shot his adoptive father a confused look but pulled out his stele and handed it over.

"The other one as well," Robert said, knowing that Jace kept multiple stele's with him.

Jace sighed and handed over the other stele, still confused.

Robert put the stele's into a pocket in his coat then held his hand out again. "Show me your wrists."

Jace held his wrists up and watched as his adoptive father grabbed them and his own stele. Before Jace's mind could process what was going on, Robert had touched the tip of the stele to Jace's wrist and began tracing a mark around his wrist.

Jace stared for a moment and after a second, he realized what Robert was doing.

"No!" Jace exclaimed, pulling his wrists free. There was a sudden burning sensation in his wrists and he looked down to see that Robert had already completed the mark. "You can't do this!" he shouted, ignoring the burning.

"Jace, you're only going to hurt yourself. Stop struggling," Robert said.

Jace just cast a furious glare at Robert. "You can't be serious! Are you really doing this to me!?"

"Sorry Jace, but it has to be done," Robert said.

Robert walked over to a cabinet that Jace hadn't realized was in the room and opened the door. He pulled out four blades and walked back over to Jace who was still standing in the middle of the room, glaring angrily.

Robert started at the south of the room and named one of the blades before stabbing it into the ground. He continued the process, making his way to the east of the room, then to the north and finally to the west.

Jace just continued to glower at Robert as the older man walked back to the southernmost blade and knelt on the ground. He pulled out his stele again and traced a single mark on the floor near the blade.

It had been a while since Jace had been in a similar position but he still remembered. The sharp, sweet chiming sound filled the room and Jace covered his eyes with his arm just as light blazed out from the blades. He waited a moment, allowing some time for the light to fade, before he moved his arm.

Sure enough, he found himself staring at Robert through a glowing wall.

"I hate you so much right now!" Jace shouted. He clenched one hand into a fist and went to raise it, only to have his other hand follow due to the cuffs that surrounded his wrists. He ignored the pain in his wrist and just glared at Robert.

"I'm sorry Jace, but you'll only be in here for a week," Robert said. "As long as you don't do anything that would cause others to want you kept in there longer."

With that, Robert started walking away. "Come on!" Jace shouted as Robert walked out of the room. Jace heard the click of a lock and sighed. He glared at the door for a moment before he sat on the floor. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the glowing wall in front of him. "I had mu shu pork at the institute..." he complained.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Alec just let out a sigh as he left the library. Robert had contacted Maryse to let her know that Jace wouldn't be returning to the institute and Alec had overheard some shouting, so he had quietly waited outside the door and listened.

"_Are you serious Robert!?" Maryse had shouted._

_There had been a muffled voice on the other end of the phone and Alec had assumed it was his father's reply._

_Maryse sighed and clearly tried to calm down before replying. "Just don't let anything happen to him. He did what he thought was right."_

_There was another muffled reply and Maryse hung up the phone. She leaned against the large oak desk and her posture was slightly ridged. _

"_Is everything alright?" Alec asked after a moment of silence._

_Maryse had spun around so quickly Alec had thought she might fall over. She kept her balance though and looked at her son._

"_They've decided to keep Jace in Idris in a Malachi Configuration. He won't be back for at least a week."_

"_Seriously?" Alec said before sighing. "I guess I'll tell Izzy and Clary... and I should probably tell the others as well."_

_Maryse gave Alec a nod and he turned and left the library._

Alec soon found Clary and Isabelle with Magnus and Tessa in the kitchen.

"Oh, hello..." Alec said, looking at Magnus and Tessa.

Magnus smiled and got out of his seat to wrap an arm around Alec's shoulders. He kissed Alec who blushed when Magnus pulled back. Alec still wasn't very comfortable with the public displays of affection.

"I have news about Jace," Alec said, addressing the room.

"What's the news?" Clary asked, looking up at Alec, her green eyes filled with hope. "Is he coming back?"

"He will come back... in about a week, as long as he doesn't do anything stupid. They're keeping him in Idris in a Malachi Configuration," Alec said.

The hope on Clary's face faded quickly and Alec felt a little bad for her. "He'll be back soon Clary," Alec said.

Isabelle looked a little upset but it was evident that she was relieved. Knowing his sister, Alec thought that she had probably been thinking about several possible outcomes.

"So... since Jace won't be back for a week, the leftover Chinese food won't be any good when he gets back... can I eat his mu shu pork?" Isabelle asked.

Alec looked at his sister again and rolled his eyes. "Are you serious Isabelle?" he asked.

"Yes. I wouldn't want it to go to waste and there's no way that anyone in the Gard will let you take Jace leftover Chinese food. Can I eat it?"

"Whatever Isabelle," Alec said. "Whatever..."

**A/N: Review Please!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Jace rubbed at his wrists as he followed Robert down the hall towards the portal.

"Magnus Bane will be waiting for you on the other side of the portal," Robert said, leading Jace to the portal.

Jace just nodded once and stood still for a moment before he stepped through the portal without saying so much as goodbye. He felt the familiar rush of air – the familiar falling sensation – before his feet hit the pavement a few seconds later.

He found himself standing next to Magnus outside the Institute and, once again, without saying anything, he walked up to the institute and opened the gate.

"Good to see you too..." he heard Magnus mutter behind him.

Jace just ignored Magnus's comment, waving a hand in the air as he walked into the foyer of the institute, the groan of the door echoing throughout the building.

Only moments later heard footsteps and after a few seconds, Clary appeared in the foyer. Her green eyes focused on Jace and a smile appeared on her face.

Jace quickly walked over to Clary and pulled her into an embrace. "I honestly thought they were going to keep you there forever... I'm so glad they didn't," Clary said.

"It felt like I was there forever," Jace said. "They put me in another one of those stupid Malachi Configurations... and unfortunately, the ceiling was too high for me to jump out..."

"If you jumped out, they would have caught you and you would have been in more trouble. Besides, I doubt they would have made it easy for you to escape the place. In their eyes, you committed a major crime. Despite the fact that you were defending me, you still killed the Seelie Queen and that's given the fey another reason to hate us and they seem to want to start a war now," Alec said, quietly walking into the foyer.

Jace lifted his head from Clary's shoulder, where it had been resting, and he looked at his Parabatai. "Always the voice of reason, aren't you Alec?" Jace said.

"Yes, I am. And you're the voice of danger. You're always living on the edge and taking the highest risks. You need to be more reasonable," Alec replied.

Jace just chuckled. I kind of locked your boyfriend out of the institute, by the way," Jace said. "And I don't really have the motivation to let him in."

Alec simply rolled his eyes at Jace and walked towards the front of the institute, no doubt to let Magnus in.

Jace just returned his attention to Clary and smiled as he continued to hold her in an embrace.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Simon had taken a break from studying – he was basically just going over things he already knew now – and he was sitting on the couch in his living room, playing one of his many video games when there was suddenly a knock at the front door.

Pausing his game, Simon got up and pushed his hair out of his face before walking to the front door. When he opened it, he saw Isabelle standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hey Izzy..." Simon said. "What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting, like always," Isabelle replied.

"Come in..." Simon said, stepping out of the way so Isabelle could walk inside.

Isabelle smiled as she stepped inside. "You're the only one home?" she asked as Simon closed the door.

"Yeah... Mom went shopping..." Simon said as he looked over Isabelle. She was so familiar – her tall figure, her dark hair and eyes, the marks on her skin – yet she was a stranger.

With a small sigh, he moved the controller off the couch and sat down, gesturing for Isabelle to do the same.

They were both silent for a moment before Isabelle spoke. "Your ascension is in less than a week. How do you feel about that?" she asked.

"A little nervous honestly. This is all so... strange. I mean, I know I've been a part of the Shadow World for a year now but I don't remember any of it and I just feel strange... I've been told that I've done great things yet I don't remember them and it's so frustrating to know you've done something and not remember... it's frustrating to know that you've been a part of my life for the past year yet I don't remember anything we did together," Simon explained.

Isabelle just sighed. "You're getting some of your memories back... I'm sure you'll get more back as time goes by," Isabelle said. "And there's nothing to be nervous about."

"Really?" Simon said. "Because I can think of a few things. First of all, they could reject me after all the training and studying I've done and secondly, it says that the Cup works best with younger people and it can kill those who drink from it."

"They won't reject you Simon," Isabelle said, placing a hand on Simon's shoulder. "You've been told that you've done great things and it's true. Those great things you did helped the Clave, saved the lives of Shadowhunters – including Clary and I – and they are also really desperate for more Shadowhunters; they wouldn't reject you. And as for the Cup... it won't kill you. Yes... it is a powerful Cup and has killed people in the past but you're strong Simon, incredibly strong... it won't kill you. You have the strength to do this."

"Are you done with the pep talk?" Simon asked after a moment, smiling slightly.

"It wasn't a pep talk... it was to reassure you and make you feel less nervous... more brave..." Isabelle said.

"That's a pep talk," Simon said.

"Oh whatever... it worked didn't it?" Isabelle asked.

"I guess it did," Simon said, smiling at Isabelle.

Isabelle smiled in return and, once again, Simon could see the adoring look she held on her face when she was around him. She looked at him like he was a hero – he wanted to be that guy for her, but he didn't know how.

Simon averted his gaze and stared at the floor instead. He heard Isabelle sigh quietly and the cushions on the couch moved slightly as she got up.

"Well, I just came to see how you were... I don't want to overstay my welcome..." she said.

"You don't have to leave Isabelle," Simon said, standing up. "You're more than welcome to stay here."

"Simon... it's just... hard to be around you sometimes. Certain things you do remind me of before... of how we used to be... and I can't handle it sometimes... I seem like I'm bulletproof sometimes but I'm really not... I've got to get back to the institute anyway... Jace will be back soon, if he's not back already and apparently Tessa wants to talk to all of us then... you can come along if you like," Isabelle said, adding the last part on hesitantly yet pleadingly.

"I don't want to drive you away Isabelle... and I'm sorry things are the way they are... if you really want me to come along, I will, otherwise I'll be fine just staying here."

"Come with me please..." Isabelle said.

After a short moment of silence, Simon nodded. "Just let me leave a note for my Mom... if I'm not here when she gets back she'll freak out..."

With that being said, Simon wrote a quick note for his mother, telling her that he was hanging out with some friends before he grabbed his keys and headed out with Isabelle.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"I remember seeing you at Jocelyn and Luke's wedding but you never spoke to me," Jace said, walking into the library with Tessa trailing behind slightly.

"I had my reasons," Tessa replied as she made herself comfortable in one of the arm chairs. Tessa had asked for everyone to meet her in the library and it had left Jace a bit confused as to why. He knew Tessa was a friend of Magnus's and of Jocelyn's but he didn't quite understand why she wanted to talk with them, all at once.

"Since Jocelyn and Luke's wedding, I've been thinking over things and I think that it's time you know who I truly am. Clary knows that I performed the role of an iron sister when she was young but that's about all you know. There is so much more and much of it might be a surprise," she started once everyone had gathered in the library.

"And what would surprise us?" Jace asked. "We know you're a warlock... we've heard that you can change your appearance..."

"I think a lot will surprise you, Jace. One fact being that my past is quite close with the Herondale line," Tessa said.

"How close?" Jace asked. "Did you know my father?"

"Sadly, no, I didn't. I have heard a little about him, but not much. As for how close I was to the Herondale line... well, it all started back in 1878..." Tessa began before launching into the story of her past.

She explained everything from the death of her aunt to meeting Jem and Will to the automatons and finishing with a short story about her children – James and Lucie.

Once she had finished speaking she took a breath and waited for a response. She knew that there would be questions but she was mainly waiting for Jace's response, for he was one of her descendants.

"So you're my great, great... great grandmother?" Jace asked, trying to trace back over his family tree.

"Yes, and that's why I'm here. I've heard you're in a bit of trouble with the faeries," Tessa said.

"Hey, it's not my fault that crazy bitch tried to kill Alec. I was simply defending my Parabatai," Jace said, glancing at Alec.

"And I'm almost certain Will is freaking out, wherever he is. The Herondale and Lightwood lines have not always gotten along so well," Jem said, entering the library with Magnus behind him.

"Brother Zachariah... what are you doing here?" Isabelle asked, looking up at Jem.

"Not Brother Zachariah anymore... in fact... you can just call me Jem," he said after a moment.

"He doesn't look the same as how you described Jem in your story Tessa... is it the same guy?" Isabelle asked, glancing between Jem and Tessa.

"Yes. His past wasn't the greatest, as I explained, and a cure was never found for his... illness, that is, until the recent war. Some of the Heavenly Fire in that was in Jace transferred itself to Jem and burned out what had made him ill, which allowed him to become an ordinary Shadowhunter again. If you wish to know more about his past though, you will have to talk to him for it is not my story to tell. I only told you small, important parts so that you could understand my story."

"And what do you mean the Herondale and Lightwood lines haven't always gotten along?" Jace asked, looking at Jem who had taken a seat on the arm of the chair Tessa was sitting in.

"Well, both the Herondale and Lightwood lines have been highly respected, they had they're bad moments where the name was looked down upon, yes, but there have always been great warriors in the families. When I was young, before my illness got the better of me, Will, who was my Parabatai, didn't get along with the Lightwood boys at all... they were always at each other's throats and I swear that there were times I thought a full-out brawl would start between them. There were reasons behind their dislike for the other line but that is a completely different story. I'm just glad that you guys get along well," Jem said.

Jace nodded his head as he tried to process the information. "This is a lot to take in..." he mumbled.

"I'm sorry for putting all of this on you... I know you're stressed out and I didn't want to add any more pressure, but I just-" Tessa began, but Jace cut her off.

"No... I'm glad you told me... it's just a lot of information... that's all," Jace said, adding a small smile at the end.

Tessa smiled in return.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Hours had passed and the sun had disappeared behind the horizon long ago. Stars were twinkling in the sky and the moon cast a silvery sort of glow over the city.

Jace pulled the curtain shut and walked over to the bed in the centre of the room, climbing onto it and taking Clary's hand in his.

"Today was a big day huh?" Clary asked, laughing slightly.

"Yeah... confusing and surprising... I thought I was the last Herondale left... I guess I still am... I mean, Tessa wasn't born into the line... she married into it and has long since lost her connection to the line... she still has Jem... but he's a Carstairs... I'm glad I found out who she really is... at least I have some sort of family still..."

"You've always had family Jace. The Lightwoods are your family," Clary said.

"Not real family," Jace replied.

"Jace, family is the people around you who care about you... who love you. The Lightwoods may not be your blood family, but they are family nonetheless."

Jace just offered Clary a smile and kissed her gently before he lay down on his side, placing a kiss on her stomach.

"I'm assuming you heard all that... I don't want to have to repeat the entire story," he said speaking to Clary's stomach as he always did.

"You'll need to be careful once you start training and hunting, the Clave can be quite cruel... they locked me up for a week because I was defending my Parabatai... I hope you'll find a Parabatai one day. It's great having one..."

Clary ran a hand through Jace's hair as he spoke to their unborn child.

It was peaceful – a happy family moment – until Isabelle started banging on the door. "Jace!" she shouted through the closed door.

"What?" Jace called back, not raising his voice as much as he normally would though.

"Am I going to walk in on something I don't need to see?" Isabelle asked.

"No... what do you want?" Jace asked as the door opened.

I was outside and my sensor is picking up demonic activity... it's strong and there's no way I'm going out there alone. That's the worst thing to do and you know it. Are you going to come help track this thing... or things, down?" she asked, placing a hand on the ruby necklace she wore.

Jace nodded. "I'll be ready in a few minutes," he said.

"Alright... I'll get you a few blades and I'll meet you out the front... Alec's coming as well," Isabelle said before walking out and pulling the door closed.

"Well... I've got to go defend the poor, helpless mundanes... one day, we'll be able to fight together... you'll enjoy it," Jace said, placing a kiss on Clary's stomach before kissing her on the lips again.

"Get some sleep... I'll be back when you wake up," Jace said, tracing the dark circles under Clary's eyes.

She nodded in response, yawning, before lying back on the bed.

Jace smiled and got off the bed to change into his gear before heading out to track down whatever Isabelle's sensor had picked up.

**A/N: Review please!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Jace, Isabelle and Alec – after changing, gathering weapons and marking themselves with runes – headed out into the night.

"I was standing right here..." Isabelle said, reaching up to lightly touch her necklace. "It's still pulsing... not as strongly as before, but there's something around here..."

"Well... we might as well start looking for whatever it is," Jace said, pulling out a seraph blade, naming it and watching it blaze with light.

Once the boys were ready with their weapons, Isabelle led them up the street, her silvery-gold whip in her hand.

As they walked up the street Isabelle continued glancing around, making sure there was nothing hiding in the shadows. "Whatever it is... it's close," she said quietly after a moment, wincing only slightly as the pendant began to burn against the skin of her neck.

As if on cue, a dark shape stepped out of the shadows, hovering at the very edge of the pool of light that was cast from one of the streetlights.

The figure didn't seem to have a shape; it seemed to simply be a mass of something similar to fog. Within the mass of fog, Isabelle could see glowing eyes – bright red eyes.

"Nephilim..." the creature hissed. The sound was sharp and high – it sounded like a high pitched whistle. Isabelle fought the urge to cover her ears.

"Be prepared to face the biggest war you've ever seen..." the creature continued, the high pitched sound already giving Isabelle a headache.

Jace held his blade out towards the creature. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice cold yet amused. Jace always loved a battle.

"You'll have to wait and see," the demon spoke.

Isabelle couldn't see a mouth on the creature but as the creature spoke, it sounded as it was smirking; teasing them.

Jace growled and, clearly not wanting to question the demon further, he thrust his seraph blade forward towards the demon – and missed.

The demon had folded in on itself and moved to another spot on the sidewalk, further away from the small group of Shadowhunters.

Jace lurched forward with Alec and Isabelle close behind. Alec had pulled an arrow out from the pouch on his back and raised his bow, aiming at the demon. He was ready to fire, when he had a clear shot.

Jace was always unpredictable in battle and Alec wouldn't risk hitting him.

The demon continued to move away from Jace, and from the way it was moving, Isabelle could tell that it obviously had some kind of goal in mind.

The demon turned into an alley and Isabelle and Alec followed.

It was dim in the alley as they had ventured away from the street lights and there were no windows at the back of the buildings so the light from inside failed to get into the alley.

Despite the fact that it was dim, the runes Isabelle had applied earlier allowed her to see in the dark. A witchlight would have made things easier but the rune was enough right now.

She was able to see that the demon they had been chasing wasn't alone. Surging forward, around the shapeless demon, was a group of Raum demons, their slick grey-white tentacles swinging out in front of them.

Jace immediately jumped into action, his seraph blade creating a bit of extra light in the dark alley. It sliced through one of the Raum demon's tentacles.

Alec let his arrow fly into another Raum demon, watching as it folded in on itself and disappeared.

Isabelle gripped the handle of her whip and flicked it out towards a Raum demon that was approaching her. It wrapped around the body of the demon and Isabelle pulled, effectively cutting the demon in half. She jumped back as black ichor sprayed out from the demon as it disappeared.

Working together, Isabelle, Alec and Jace managed to take out the group of Raum demons in no time.

Jace had just stabbed the last Raum demon and turned when Isabelle heard his voice. "Izzy, watch out!" he shouted.

Isabelle turned, just in time to dodge the large, shapeless demon they had been chasing earlier. She dropped to the ground and rolled away from the demon before jumping to her feet again, her whip ready.

Alec grabbed an arrow, aimed at the demon and let the arrow fly.

To Isabelle's shock the demon moved quickly and the arrow flew out of the alley and back into the street, narrowly missing the back of a mundane's head before it landed on the road.

Isabelle saw the panicked look on her brother's face before she saw the mundane look around, confused.

She shook her head and turned around to see the demon behind her. She flung her whip forward but the demon, once again, managed to dodge the attack.

A tendril of the fog – or whatever it was the demon was made of – wrapped around Isabelle's arm and she screamed, despite the fact that she tried not to.

Wherever the demon touched burned immensely and despite the fact that it appeared to be made of some kind of fog, its grip was incredibly strong.

Using all her strength, Isabelle managed to pull her arm free and she stumbled backwards.

She watched as Alec and Jace managed to finally attack the demon. Her arm was still burning and she looked down to see that it was injured rather badly. Blood welled up from multiple burns on her arm and it trickled down to her hand.

She stumbled backwards until she felt the wall behind her. She leaned against the cool bricks and took a few deep breaths and tried to get rid of the sudden wave of dizziness that passed over her.

Cradling her injured arm she slid down to the ground and then reached out to her boot to grab her stele. With a shaking hand, she attempted to draw an iratze but nothing seemed to happen.

She heard footsteps and looked up to see Jace and Alec crouched down in front of her. "Isabelle, are you alright?" Jace asked, pulling out his own stele to try an iratze.

"I... don't know..." Isabelle said, trying not to wince as Jace traced the rune onto her skin.

Her vision had started to blur and she was becoming disoriented.

She saw Alec's concerned face appear in front of her and she saw his mouth move but only heard part of what he was saying – his voice seemed to fade out as he spoke.

"Isabe... is everyth... ight?"

Isabelle simply blinked once. "What?"

"Poison..." She heard Jace say as he quickly began putting his stele and seraph blade back into his weapons belt.

Isabelle then heard a pounding sound in the back of her head – she couldn't tell whether it was the beat coming from a nearby club or the blood pounding through her veins – and the last thing she felt was someone lifting her from the ground before she passed out.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Alec opened the doors to the institute as Jace followed him in, Isabelle cradled in his arms.

Jace immediately began making his way to the infirmary as Alec closed the doors and followed.

Jace placed Isabelle on one of the beds and swore. "What the hell was that thing!?" he shouted as Alec walked into the room. "I've never seen it before and I've seen a lot of demons in my life!"

"Jace, calm down," Alec said.

"Calm down!? Why are you so calm!? You're sister is lying there poisoned and we have no idea what poisoned her!"

"Jace," Alec said calmly, quickly glancing at his sister.

"What!?" Jace shouted as he paced by the edge of the bed.

"Calm the hell down," Alec said. "I've already contacted the Silent Brothers and they'll be here soon. They'll know what poisoned Isabelle and they'll be able to help her..."

"Right..." Jace said, slightly calmer than he had been seconds ago. His posture and attitude told Alec that he wasn't entirely calm though.

"Go put the weapons away... and wash your arm..." Alec said, noticing that while carrying Isabelle, Jace had gotten her blood on his arm and the front of his gear.

Jace simply sighed and didn't argue for once.

He left the infirmary and went to clean the weapons and put them away. Before he made it to the elevator though, he saw Clary and almost immediately a worried look crossed her face.

"Jace, what the heck happened?" she asked, quickly walking up to Jace and taking his hand.

"Before you freak out too much, it's not my blood... its Isabelle's..."

"What happened to Izzy?"Clary asked, glancing behind Jace at the infirmary.

"Well, we ran into the demon Isabelle's sensor had picked up... don't ask me what it was because I've never seen it before... there was a group of Raum demons in an alley as well. We fought off the Raum demons and whatever the other thing was grabbed Isabelle and apparently burned her arm. She started bleeding and the runes aren't working. Alec's contacted the Silent Brother's already and they'll be here shortly... I don't want you to worry though, she'll be fine... just go back to bed," Jace said.

"No... I want to make sure Isabelle is alright," Clary said. "I'm not going to bed until the Silent Brothers leave."

"Clary..." Jace said.

"No. Don't tell me what to do Jace," Clary argued before going into the infirmary.

Jace just sighed and went to clean the weapons and his arm.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Alec was just pacing by one of the windows, occasionally glancing back at his sister. He had bandaged her arm to try and slow the bleeding but that was all he could do since the runes weren't working.

As he glanced back at his sister he saw Clary walk into the infirmary. "She'll be fine... I'm assuming Jace told you what happened?"

"Yeah... Do you know how long it will take the Silent Brothers to get here?" Clary asked.

"No... I contacted them while we were heading back here so they should be here soon... I hope..." Alec said as he looked at his sister. Some of the colour had drained from her skin and her veins stood out more.

Clary sighed and Alec returned his attention to the window, staring out at the street below.

About five minutes passed when Alec suddenly saw a shadow approaching the institute. It rolled up to the front of the institute and came to a stop. Despite the fact that it was dark outside and Alec was a few floors up, he could see the faint shimmer around the thing that had pulled up outside.

He watched as the cloaked figures stepped out of the carriage and he then moved away from the window and went back over to his sister's bed.

"The Silent Brothers are here... they'll help you..." he said, looking down at his sister.

Only moments after he spoke, two Silent Brothers walked into the infirmary, their hoods up, covering their heads and hiding their faces.

_Can you explain what happened please?_

Alec heard the voice echo through his mind. "Her sensor picked up demonic activity earlier and we went out to find what it was. We ran into some Raum demons and another one we've never come across. She was attacked by that demon and it appears that it has poisoned her."

_I see..._

Alec watched as the Silent Brothers stood over Isabelle. _You will need to leave so we can work._

Alec sighed and took one more glance at his sister before he left the infirmary with Clary right behind him.

He leaned against the wall and just looked at the ground.

"They'll be able to help her..." Clary said, standing next to Alec.

"I know... I'm just worried about her, that's all. I've already lost one sibling, I wouldn't be able to handle losing another. My relationship with my parents isn't really on the best of terms and Isabelle has always been there for me... if I lost her, I don't know what I'd do," Alec said.

Clary just put a comforting hand on Alec's arm and offered him a small smile.

Moments late Jace returned and leaned against the wall as well. "The Silent Brothers are here?" he asked.

"Yeah," Alec said.

After that, the Jace, Alec and Clary went silent as they waited to see how Isabelle was doing.

**A/N: I've made these announcements in the latest chapter of my story Emeralds, but I'll make them here as well in case you haven't read Emeralds.**

**1 – Updates will be slower from January through to May next year (2015) as I am involved in a local play and will have rehearsals/performances during those months.**

**2 – Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions from you guys about different things – ie, how to plan things/how to develop believable characters/etc. I've also had people ask me to do book reviews/book to movie reviews/etc so I started thinking that instead of sharing my opinion/advice with just those who ask, I would start a YouTube channel to talk about all of it. Would you guys like me to start a YouTube channel?**

**Review Please!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

September 2008

The Silent Brothers had been able to remove the demon poison from Isabelle and a few iratzes later, she was healed entirely.

A week later Jocelyn, Luke, Simon, Clary, Jace, Alec, Magnus and Isabelle found themselves walking into the Council room to take their seats at the front of the room while Jia walked up onto the dais, along with two Silent Brothers.

"Shadowhunters... warlocks, werewolves," Jia said, nodding her head towards Magnus and Luke. "We are gathered here today for the Ascension of mundane Simon Lewis. As a vampire, Simon played a large part in various battles we have fought and, most notably, he contributed majorly to the defeat of Sebastian Morgenstern and the rescue of our people and the Downworlder representatives that were still alive after Sebastian's defeat."

Simon felt Clary flinch beside him and he could see Jocelyn trying to remain composed.

Sebastian had caused major destruction and many deaths had been a result of his violence and sadistic nature but in the end – literally moments before his death – he had been himself; who he should've – and would've – been if Valentine hadn't experimented on him before he was born. This was what Simon had been told anyway.

He gently squeezed Clary's hand in an attempt to bring her a bit of comfort and he noticed – from the corner of his eye – that Jace had probably been thinking the same thing as his hand briefly tightened around Clary's other hand.

"Simon sacrificed his memories of the Shadow World – and therefore his memories of his best friend – and immortality, so that our children that had ventured into Edom during the Dark War, Magnus Bane, Luke Garroway and Jocelyn Fairchild could return to Idris safely. Magnus Bane has been able to return a few of Simon's memories and others seem to be returning naturally."

Simon gave a small smile, looking down at the ground briefly. He was happy that his memories seemed to be returning. Sure, there weren't a lot of things at the moment but small memories were returning. He hoped that one day he would remember everything but he had his doubts.

"Simon has been studying our histories and way of life for the past three months and, thanks to the Shadowhunters residing in the New York Institute, he has undertaken some serious physical training. He is, of course, fully aware of the Shadow World and is here today, as mentioned before, to become a part of our society and help us protect the world from demons," Jia continued, her dark eyes sweeping across the Shadowhunters and Downworlders gathered in the Council room.

"Before we continue this ceremony any further, are there any Shadowhunters here against Simon Lewis Ascending?" Jia asked, her eyes sweeping the room again, searching for any raised hands.

Simon cautiously looked around as well. He was looking forward to becoming a Shadowhunter and he hoped that no one objected to his Ascension.

Thankfully, he didn't see any hands being raised and he didn't hear anyone objecting. Jia's voice then rang out through the Council room.

"Alright then; Simon Lewis, please enter the circles," Jia said, gesturing to two circles that had been painted on the dais, the space between the circles filled with runes of binding, runes of knowledge, runes of skill and craft and the runes that symbolised his name.

Simon got out of his seat – Clary sending him a reassuring gaze – and he walked up to the dais and stood in the centre of the circles.

"Before we officially begin, have you chosen a Shadowhunter name to use or take on as your own? Or do you wish to simply be Simon Shadowhunter if this all goes well?" Jia asked.

"I have chosen a name I would like to use," Simon replied.

"Make sure it is what you want because once this is over, it will be your name forever," Jia said.

Simon nodded. "It is what I want."

"Very well. What is it?" Jia asked.

Simon briefly glanced out at the crowd and saw that Clary had a smile on her face. His eyes then flicked towards Jocelyn as he spoke. "Fairchild," he said and he saw a smile appear on Jocelyn's face – after the look of slight shock disappeared. He then noticed her reach up to her face and he assumed she had started crying. She still had the smile on her face and Simon hoped that she was crying happy tears. He didn't want to upset Jocelyn.

"Kneel please," Jia said, bring Simon's attention back.

Simon took a breath in an attempt to calm his nerves and knelt in front of Jia.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends – the people he considered his family – sitting down below. Simon returned his attention to the Consul who was standing above him, the Mortal Cup gripped in her hands. He tried hard to ignore the Silent Brothers – Brother Enoch and another that Simon didn't know the name of – that were standing at either end of the dais; they still seemed creepy despite the fact he had been learning about them for the past three months and had met them before he lost his memory.

"Take the Cup, Simon Lewis," Jia said, holding the cup out towards Simon.

The quiet chatter that could be heard merely moments ago died and the room went silent. Simon could almost feel the tension in the room rise – the nerves rolling off of people – as he reached out with a slightly shaky hand and took the Cup carefully.

"Do you swear, Simon Lewis, to forsake the mundane world and follow the path of the Shadowhunter? Will you take into yourself the blood of the Angel Raziel and honour that blood? Do you swear to serve the Clave, to follow the Law as set forth by the Covenant, and to obey the word of the Council? Will you defend that which is human and mortal, knowing that for your service there will be no recompense and no thanks but honour?" Jia asked.

"I swear," Simon said, his voice coming out stronger than he thought it would.

"Can you be a shield for the weak, a light in the dark, a truth among falsehoods, a tower in the flood, an eye to see when all others are blind?"

"I can."

"And when you are dead, will you give up your body to the Nephilim to be burned, so that your ashes may be used to build the City of Bones?"

"I will," Simon replied, slightly fearing the next part of the ceremony but willing himself to be stronger. Clary, Isabelle, Jocelyn and Luke – even Alec, Magnus and Jace – had faith in Simon and that was all he needed to know.

"Then drink," Jia said and Simon could hear someone's intake of breath.

Slowly, Simon raised the Cup to his lips and drank.

The circle flared up once with a cold, blue-white light and once it faded Simon held up the Cup – which was glowing slightly – and handed it back to Jia.

"You are Nephilim now," Jia said, a smile on her face. "I name you Simon Fairchild, child of the Nephilim. Arise, Simon."

Simon stood up and smiled as he turned to take in the cheering crowd.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Clary was standing up, cheering for Simon with a smile on her face. As soon as he started to step down from the dais, Clary launched herself forward and pulled Simon into a hug.

"You're a Shadowhunter!" She cheered with a smile.

Simon just returned the smile. "I know... I was really nervous but you were right... I had nothing to be nervous about," he said.

Clary stayed quiet for a minute and placed a hand on her growing baby bump. She was just over five months pregnant now.

She felt another pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a pair of hands rested gently over Clary's.

"Now that you're officially a Shadowhunter, your training is going to be increased and you will actually be fighting demons soon," Jace said, resting his chin on Clary's shoulder.

Simon just sighed. "I know that. You've only told me a million times over the last week," Simon said.

Jace chuckled. "Well... that was while you were still a mundane," Jace replied. "Now it's really happening. We start at one," he continued.

"That's in an hour," Simon said.

"Duh," Jace said. "Thanks for stating the obvious."

Simon rolled his eyes and a moment later, they were joined by Magnus, Alec, Isabelle, Luke and Jocelyn.

"Well... you've been a mundane, a vampire and now you're a Shadowhunter. What's next? Are you going to turn into a werewolf?" Magnus chuckled.

"Shut up," Simon said. "I'm going to be a Shadowhunter until I die."

"Okay then..." Magnus said.

Jocelyn briefly glanced over at Clary – her eyes focusing on her stomach.

Jocelyn had only recently started supporting Clary with her pregnancy – she wasn't very happy about it but she was coming around.

Jocelyn quickly moved her attention to Simon though and pulled him into a hug. When Simon had announced he wanted to take on the name Fairchild, Jocelyn had been a little shocked but overall, she had been ecstatic. She had been so overjoyed that she actually started crying and her eyes were still a little red from the tears.

"Thank you," she mumbled to Simon. "I'm proud to call you a Fairchild."

"No worries Mrs Fray," Simon said with a smile. "I've always seen you as a second mother... I was more than happy to take on your name... Clary told me you'd be happy about it..."

Jocelyn turned to look at Clary again and gave her a smile.

"You offered him the Fairchild name?" Jocelyn asked, the smile still on her face.

Clary nodded. "Yeah... he was having trouble picking a name... he didn't want to just be Simon Shadowhunter so I was helping him... I suggested a few different names and Fairchild was one of them... he decided to take Fairchild because, like he said just before, he sees you as a second mother and well... he and I are basically siblings," Clary said. "Despite the fact we didn't talk or anything for five months..."

Jocelyn just smiled and she pulled Clary into the hug awkwardly since Jace still had his arms around her. Jace pulled back and let Clary and her mother share a hug with Simon.

A moment later, Clary pulled out of the hug and took a step back, once again feeling Jace's arms wrap around her.

Jocelyn had just pulled back from Simon when Isabelle quickly pulled him into a hug, her arms winding around his neck.

Clary could hear Simon chuckle slightly and his arms wrapped around Isabelle's waist, his head bowing forward as he held her.

Clary smiled and turned around in Jace's arms to give Isabelle and Simon some privacy. Their relationship was slowly starting to become what it used to be but the two of them were still merely friends.

The crowd that had gathered in the Council room for Simon's ascension had started to disperse and now only the Clave members, the Silent Brothers, the residents of the New York Institute and the others close to Simon remained.

"Are you glad that Simon's a Shadowhunter?" Jace asked Clary.

"Yes... he's an important part of my life and I'm glad he's a part of the Shadow World with me... I know that he'll always be a part of my life..." Clary replied with a smile.

"Well... he can be a part of your life when he's not training... he's mine for two hours today," Jace said.

Clary laughed slightly. "Just don't kill him," she said.

"Of course not... I'll just make him train until he feels like dying..." Jace said.

Clary rolled her eyes and playfully slapped Jace's arm before resting her head on his shoulder.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle continued to hold onto Simon for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of his arms around her – like they used to be all the time.

Simon lifted his head from where it had been resting on her shoulder and he looked down at Izzy, a smile on his face.

"I was really worried for a while... I mean, I knew you were worthy of being a Shadowhunter and all but I couldn't help but have a little bit of doubt..." Isabelle said.

"I was nervous too... but you know that... I'm just glad I made it through that process," Simon said.

"So am I... if that light had faded and you weren't moving... I... I don't know what I'd do... I would probably scream... and then cry... and blame myself... and cry again..." Isabelle said, shaking her head as she spoke, trying not to think about what hadn't happened.

"Why would you blame yourself?" Simon asked. "It wouldn't be your fault if I hadn't been able to survive the process..."

"I know that but... it wasn't really my fault that Max was killed but if I had listened to him, he may still be alive today. I would still blame myself if you died... I would find a reason to blame myself and I would let the guilt eat me alive," Isabelle said.

Simon merely sighed and pulled Isabelle closer again. "I wouldn't want that for you," he said. "I mean... I agreed to become a Shadowhunter... I wanted to so if anything had happened to me while I was up on that dais, it would be my fault..." Simon said. "Anyway, that didn't happen... I survived... I'm here..."

"I know," Isabelle smiled, resting her head on Simon's shoulder again. "And I'm glad..."

"Alright guys... who feels like a party to celebrate Simon's Ascension? I can have it organized for tonight," Magnus said and when Isabelle turned to look at him, she could see the warlock's cat-eyes shining.

"Why not?" Isabelle said.

"Just no faeries," Jace said, shaking his head.

Magnus narrowed his eyes slightly at Jace but agreed. "Faeries are always fun at a party... but fine. I get it... you don't want to be murdered... ouch!"

Isabelle stared at Magnus, wondering what had hurt him. She realized a moment later that Alec had hit him and started laughing.

"Alright... party at mine... 7pm. No faeries," Magnus said.

"Alright then..." Isabelle said, flashing a smile. "Can't wait."

**A/N: Alright, I know that Ascending Shadowhunters have to either create their own Shadowhunter name or choose a name that is no longer used but I've always liked the idea of Simon being a Fairchild so that's the way this was written. Review Please! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Put away the electrum whips and seraph blades and whatever you do, don't call the Clave! I'm so sorry I haven't updated! I've been so busy during the last month that I have had so little time to write. I am writing ahead now so I will be able to set up a permanent update schedule... also, for those of you wondering/asking, Clary is now about 5 months pregnant.**

Chapter 20

As usual, Magnus's parties were always extravagant.

The furniture that had recently been in his apartment was gone so that the floor was clear. A disco ball hung where the light usually was, music blared from the speakers, the far wall was lined with tables that held various foods and drinks – many of which Isabelle probably wouldn't touch, a couple of dark red sofas were positioned around a small coffee table and the rest of the room was being used as a dance floor.

Isabelle walked in first, followed by Jace, Clary and Simon. Alec was already somewhere in the apartment.

Clary and Jace separated from the small group and Isabelle took Simon's hand, leading him through the crowd of Downworlders to an area of the room that was less crowded. "You're officially a Shadowhunter now," Isabelle said, turning to face Simon.

"Not quite yet," Simon said. "I still have to get my first runes..."

"And you'll get them tomorrow... it could have been done at the ascension ceremony but you wanted it to be more private..." Isabelle said lightly, a soft smile on her face.

Simon just nodded.

"Would you like to dance Isabelle?" Simon asked after a moment of silence.

Isabelle smiled widely. "I'd love to Simon," she said, placing her hand in his as Simon looked up.

With a small smile, Simon started swaying awkwardly to the music with Isabelle, feeling just a little more graceful.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"Magnus is always extravagant when it comes to his parties, isn't he?" Clary said, leaning against one of the tables, using her hand to support her weight.

"If by extravagant, you mean he goes overboard, then yes," Jace replied casually. "All this... shimmery stuff isn't really necessary..."

"It's a party Jace, its decoration," Magnus said from behind Clary.

"Decoration for a wedding perhaps; a party should be-"

"Shut up Jace," Clary said, quickly brushing her lips across Jace's. Magnus tolerated Jace for Alec's sake – occasionally they would actually agree on something – and Clary didn't really want Magnus to kick them out of the party. She was here to support Simon and she wasn't going to let Jace's big mouth ruin that.

When Clary turned again she saw Magnus staring at her with a small smirk on his face. "Don't get too carried away," he said, starting to walk away. "The bedrooms are off limits," he added after a moment and turned with a small, amused smile on his face.

Clary felt her cheeks heat up and she leaned back against the table, grabbing a nearby drink. "Well that sucks, doesn't it," Jace said.

"I said shut up Jace," Clary said lightly as she placed a hand over her stomach and took a sip of the drink – it was fruity, more than likely some kind of punch.

"You know you don't want me to shut up," Jace said, taking a step closer.

"If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it," Clary replied, putting her glass back on the table.

"Right," Jace said, grabbing Clary's waist and pulling her close.

Clary felt her cheeks heat up slightly but the heat faded as Jace pressed his lips to hers in a more passionate kiss than last time.

His lips were soft yet firm on hers as Jace turned slightly. Clary felt the table press against her lower back but to her surprise, it wasn't painful.

Clary reached up and tangled her fingers in the soft curls at the back of Jace's neck and stood on the tips of her toes to deepen the kiss.

In only a matter of seconds, nothing but Jace mattered. The party slipped away – the noise, the guests, everything – and it was only her and Jace.

She was surrounded by him – his hands on her waist, his lips on hers and his scent of soap and aftershave was consuming.

Jace moved his hands from Clary's waist and let them pull out the pins that held Clary's hair up. They landed on the table with the soft thud on metal on wood and moments later, his hands were tangled in her red curls.

"How many times have I told you I prefer your hair down?" Jace asked, pulling back from the kiss, his gold eyes bright as he looked down at Clary, breathing quickly.

"I can't argue with Isabelle when it comes to this sort of thing Jace... you know what she's like," Clary replied, smiling as she tried to catch her breath.

Jace just smiled in returned and slowly lowered his face to Clary's again. Whereas the last kiss had been heated and full of passion, this kiss was soft and slow – delicate, yet still full of love. Jace placed a small kiss on Clary's lips before he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

He stood up a moment later and placed a final kiss on Clary's lips before he just held her in a gentle embrace, swaying slightly with the music.

He jumped though when he heard someone clapping slowly behind him. "Well... that was rather interesting. Do you always do the opposite of what I say?" Magnus asked as Jace turned around.

Jace simply rolled his eyes at the warlock. "Only if it annoys you," Jace replied, his signature sarcastic smile on his face.

"I wouldn't say that annoyed me," Magnus said. "I could have done without seeing that but I have to say, you put on quite the show for the guests. It was extra, surprise entertainment."

Clary felt her cheeks heat up again and she turned away, reaching for her glass from earlier.

Jace simply rolled his eyes again. "Go away Magnus," he said lightly as he returned his attention to Clary, only turning to see that Magnus had disappeared into the crowd.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Simon had moved from the crowd with Isabelle and they were currently seated on one of the dark red sofas at the back of the room.

"I don't see why this had to be tonight... I can hardly enjoy this party when Jace had me training until I was almost dead..." Simon said, looking at Isabelle.

"Jace is like that... he takes training very seriously... he started training a lot earlier than Alec and I. When he came to the institute, he already knew so much more than we did. He never had a childhood – not really. His life was always about training and protecting the world from demons. I'll see if I can get him to ease up a little. You've literally only just become a Shadowhunter and you don't even have any runes yet. He had no right to make you train so hard... physical training is important, yes, but as with all training, you need to work up to things, you can't just immediately be able to run a marathon or whatever with hardly any former training," Isabelle said.

"I've had training before... while I was still a mundane, as you call them," Simon said.

"I know that, but you never came out feeling like this, did you? Jace is just being a pain, as always. He could have intensified your training a little, but not a lot. Not when you haven't even been marked yet..." Isabelle said.

Simon just nodded and smiled slightly when he saw the look Isabelle had cast towards Jace, who was standing by the tables with Clary.

"Anyway..." Isabelle said, returning her attention to Simon with a smile. "You get your first marks tomorrow... are you excited?"

Simon nodded. "It will be a new experience, and I'll be a real Shadowhunter then," he said.

"You already are a real Shadowhunter," Isabelle said. "You were a real Shadowhunter the moment you set that Cup to your lips on the dais."

"Yeah, but with the marks, I can do more... I can help in battles..." Simon said.

"You won't be fighting any demons for a while," Isabelle said quickly, her voice steady and certain. "Not until you've had a lot more training. Some demons are slow and stupid but others – especially greater demons – are quick and cunning. You need to be able to move quickly and you need to be able to use a variety of weapons. You're going to have to train for a few months before you're allowed to come with us to hunt a demon."

"I didn't mean I could help straight away. I know I wouldn't be much help without the proper training..." Simon said.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to say it like that... it's just, I don't want you getting injured..." Isabelle said.

"You think I want you getting injured? I want to be able to help you Isabelle..." Simon said before he could stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth.

Isabelle flashed a small smile. "I've been injured many times Simon. I know what I'm doing out there... and you will be able to help me one day. We'll be able to fight side by side."

"If Jace's training doesn't kill me first..." Simon muttered.

"I said I'll talk to him, and I will... I might even help with your training," Isabelle said. "Jace isn't exactly qualified to train anyone, considering he is not eighteen yet. Alec is the only one who could actually train you properly. He's finished his training."

"So he would be a better teacher than Jace," Simon said.

"Yeah... Jace tends to lose his temper faster than Alec as well. Alec's a lot more patient, unless you do something to purposely annoy him," Isabelle said.

Simon just laughed slightly before he noticed the way Isabelle was looking at him. "You're doing it again," he said, the smile disappearing from his lips, another look appearing on his face; once Isabelle couldn't exactly place – sadness or disappointment perhaps.

"What?" Isabelle said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You're looking at me as if I am a hero. I've been told of things I've done but I still don't remember them. I want to be the hero you see in me but I just can't and seeing you look at me like that makes me feel bad," Simon explained, leaning back against the couch.

"I'm sorry Simon..." Isabelle said quietly, placing a hand over Simon's.

"It's fine," Simon replied, looking over at Isabelle again and wishing he could remember everything about her. She was beautiful, he knew that much, but he wanted to remember who she actually was – he wanted to know her personality, the soul that lied within. He wanted to remember what she meant to him.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Clary had eventually moved away from Jace and she searched for Simon, eventually finding him sitting on one of the dark red couches with Isabelle.

Clary leaned over the back of the couch and smiled. "I've been looking for you," she said to Simon.

"I haven't moved for the past fifteen minutes," Simon replied, smiling back at Clary.

"Well I guess I was looking in all the wrong places," Clary said.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Isabelle said, standing up and walking towards the tables.

Clary moved around the couch and sat where Isabelle had just been sitting and smiled at Simon. "I'm so glad you're a part of the Shadow World again. I was so upset for the first five months of this year. I thought I would never have you in my life again. You did something so brave knowing you would lose everything and I couldn't stop you. Yet here you are, back in my life, because of a band name," Clary said. "I never thought something so small would mean so much – I never thought it could change so much."

"Well... I'm glad something worked out right," Simon said. "I can't imagine a life without you... I mean, I know I lived without you for five months but I just can't picture it... I remember what it was like without you and I can't believe I had forgotten you... it was so hard to understand. I'm glad I have you back though."

Clary smiled and pulled Simon into a hug.

"I can't wait to fight beside you Simon. I know it will be a while but it will one day be something we can share," Clary said.

Simon smiled. "Something we can share for life."

_**-o-O-o-**_

Magnus eventually managed to get everyone out of his apartment and he snapped his fingers, returning his apartment to the way it had been that morning before he forced the small group of Shadowhunters out of the apartment as well.

"I shall see you, more than likely, tomorrow. Goodnight," Magnus said, closing the door to his apartment.

"He doesn't normally force me out," Alec muttered as the group made their way out into the night.

"I think he just got tired of you," Jace said, overhearing Alec.

Alec just pushed Jace lightly. "Shut up," he said.

Jace just chuckled and the group began to make their way back to the institute.

It was almost one in the morning so the streets were fairly empty apart from the few mundanes who stumbled down the street after being tossed out of a pub and the occasional driver, either heading home from a late night shift somewhere or heading out for the early shifts.

As Simon walked with the group, he could feel the pain in his legs from Jace's training. It had definitely been more intense than his previous training sessions and he hadn't exactly been ready for it.

Jace had forced him to run and they had sparred and worked on his balance for the entire two hours and to Simon's dismay, Jace had only allowed him to get a drink – he hadn't been allowed to rest.

"You need to build up your stamina and strength," Jace had said. "Now keep moving."

Simon had tried to protest but Jace hadn't listened.

Eventually, the group stopped in front of the institute. Despite the fact that Simon was now a Shadowhunter, he still couldn't see through the glamour.

"Focus," Isabelle whispered to him. "You'll see it... it will be easier after tomorrow though."

Simon tried to focus and for a brief second, he could see the institute before he lost it, the glamour appearing again.

They all walked into the institute and inside, Simon found it easier to see things as they were. "There's no glamour in here?" he asked.

"No... only the outside has a glamour... it wards off mundanes. If someone is too curious though and try to see what this place is, they can't get inside. You can only get in here if you have angel blood within your veins. You can only get in if you are a Shadowhunter," Isabelle said. "Come on... I'll take you up to your room," Isabelle said.

"What about my mother and sister; what am I going to tell them?" Simon asked as they stepped into the elevator. "I haven't moved out or anything yet... I still live with my mother."

Isabelle sighed. "You don't have to stay in the institute; it's just a place for Shadowhunters to seek shelter. There are rarely ever permanent residents in an institute. A lot of us live in Idris or travel. Some even have their own homes in cities or country towns. You can still live with your mother, but there is the fact that you will have runes tomorrow..." she said.

Simon sighed now. "I'll have to figure something out... I don't want to have to lie to her, but she can't know about the Shadow World..."

"Exactly..." Isabelle said, stopping outside one of the many doors in the corridor. "This is your room," she said, opening the door. "Obviously none of your things are here yet, but you can bring some things around if you like..."

Simon nodded. "Thank you, Isabelle," he said, taking her hand in his. "For everything... for helping me study, for believing in me... everything," he continued. He then leaned forward and his lips brushed Isabelle's cheek before he pulled back.

Simon offered a small smile and stepped back into the room, closing the door as Isabelle turned away with a smile.

**A/N: This chapter is a good 700 words over what I planned to write... normally each chapter is about 2000 words... anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and can forgive me for taking a month to update! Review please!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! And just so you all know, if you don't read Emeralds (or haven't read the latest chapter) I've started a blog in which I will talk about my fanfictions and any upcoming projects, book and movie reviews, writing tips and more! Check it out! The link is (without the spaces of course): **

Chapter 21

The sunlight filtering in through Simon's window woke him up the next morning and he groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes as he sat up.

He could really feel yesterday's training session now – his muscles ached in a way they hadn't before and he felt slightly stiff, as if he had been still for too long.

He sat on the bed for a moment, stretching as he tried to ignore the aches in his body, before he swung his legs off the bed and got to his feet.

He pulled the covers up on his bed, not bothering to actually make it tidy, and then pulled out a change of clothes from his backpack – it was all he had at the institute.

After changing he made his way out of the room, glancing up and down the hall. The institute was quite large and he wondered if it was possible to get lost. He shook his head slightly and began to make his way back down the hall – the way he had come when Isabelle had showed him to his room last night.

He could hear the groan of the elevator up ahead and as he made his way around the corner, he found it. He also saw Clary waiting as the elevator made its way slowly to the floor.

"Morning Clary," Simon said as he came to a stop beside his friend.

"Hey Simon, are you ready for today? You get your first runes!" Clary said, a little overexcited.

Simon nodded in reply. "Things will be easier once I get my runes..." he said.

"Yeah, although there will still be a lot of training to do... that's the worst part about this life... the extensive training..."

Simon nodded again and the elevator finally groaned to a stop. "Heading to the kitchen for breakfast, I assume?" Clary said as they both stepped into the elevator.

"Yeah," Simon replied.

At first, both Clary and Simon were silent; the only sound was the groaning as the elevator descended.

"Clary, what am I going to tell my mom?" Simon asked after a moment, glancing at Clary, worry written across his face.

"I don't know Simon..." Clary said. "I wish I could help you but I have no idea... as a Shadowhunter, you can't make contact with your family again... I know it's sad but it's the law..."

"And the law is hard," Jace said. The elevator had reached the ground and Jace, who had been standing just outside the elevator, had overheard the last part of the conversation.

Simon just looked down at the ground, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor. "I just don't want her to worry about me... if I don't tell her something, she'll put out a missing person flyer... I don't want to hurt her like that... she needs to know I'm safe..."

"You should have thought about this before you agreed to becoming a Shadowhunter," Jace said.

Simon looked up, glaring. "Can you ever be kind, or are you always going to be an insensitive ass?" he said.

"I'm not insensitive and I'm not an ass; an ass is a donkey and I am far too good-looking to be one. I simply state the truth. I do not lie," Jace said.

Simon felt his mouth curl into a small smile as Clary slapped Jace across the back of the head.

"You are being insensitive Jace. Simon made a big decision and there are still some things he needs to figure out and finish," Clary said, turning back to Simon.

"Come on... let's go get some breakfast..." she said, grabbing Simon's wrist as she pulled him towards the kitchen and away from Jace who was still rubbing the back of his head.

"I need to figure something out..." Simon said as he sat down in the kitchen.

"I know..." Clary replied. "Magnus is more than likely going to show up soon... he may have an idea we can use," she continued.

"Maybe..." Simon muttered as he got up and got something to eat.

_**-o-O-o-**_

It was almost midday when Magnus showed up. As usual, his hair was spiked and he seemed to shimmer in the sunlight – a result of the glitter on his body.

"Well... there are plenty of explanations we could give your mother," he said, leaning up against the wall. "You could tell her about the shadow world, but the Clave wouldn't be very happy about that..."

"We've already established that," Simon said.

"And I doubt you want her to forget you entirely..."

"Why would I want her to forget me?" Simon asked, appalled that Magnus had even suggested that.

Magnus ignored Simon's comments as he continued listing off possible solutions.

"I could, however, tamper with her memory so that she believes you have been accepted into some sort of prestigious school on a scholarship. That would allow you to be away from home on school days, weekends and holidays. You would only have to return home occasionally which I'm sure we will be able to work something out... the Clave won't find out, is what I mean... and I could make sure your mother doesn't remember your runes," he said.

"Kind of like what you did with me. You made me forget everything about the shadow world, even as I saw it," Clary said.

"Exactly. So even as your mother sees the runes on your skin, she will forget them. It's quite an easy spell," Magnus said. "Although I won't go ahead with anything unless you want me to, Simone. She is your mother after all."

"My name is not Simone. It's Simon," Simon said, narrowing his eyes as Magnus smirked. "And your plan would work rather well actually..."

"Of course it will. I came up with it," Magnus said.

"Now you sound like Jace..." Simon muttered. "Are you sure this spell is safe? It won't harm my mother in any way?"

"Yes, it's completely harmless," Magnus assured.

"And you'll be able to do the same thing for my sister? And my friends?" Simon asked.

"Yes... although not all at once. This spell is harmless, but powerful. It requires a lot of energy and focus. I should be able to have everything sorted out within a few days though."

Simon nodded. "Good... and I'll only have to visit every now and again?"

"Yes; although you can watch them from a distance, if you want to... or you could simply use a glamour to get closer... anyway... I shall get started with this later on. As of right now, I am here to see Alec," Magnus said, pushing away from the wall and striding across the room.

Simon sighed. "Well, at least that's out of the way now," he said, turning to face Clary.

"You're coping alright with this?" Clary asked.

"Yeah... I'll still get to see everyone, not very often, but I'll still get to see them. I'm fine," Simon replied.

"Good," Clary said with a small smile.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Simon was pacing the floor of the library when he heard the faint echo of the institute door banging shut.

"The Silent Brothers are here..." he muttered to himself as he continued to pace. Despite the fact that he wanted this, he was slightly nervous.

He sat on one of the sofas for a brief second before he stood again, paced and then sat once more.

He heard footsteps outside and all of a sudden, Isabelle came into the room. "It's time!" she cheered. There was an evident bounce in her step.

Behind her, Simon saw Clary and two others – the Silent Brothers.

_Is this where you want to do this?_

Simon jumped slightly as the voice echoed through his mind.

"That's Brother Enoch," Clary whispered.

Simon nodded once – a small nod – at Clary then looked up at the Silent Brother in front of him. He had his hood drawn back and Simon could now see his face; the hollows where his eyes should have been and the stitched lips. Simon resisted the urge to shudder.

"Yes..." he said.

_Alright then._

Brother Enoch's voice echoed through Simon's mind as Isabelle and Clary took a seat on either side of him, both smiling encouragingly.

_Simon Fairchild, you are Nephilim now and it is time for the first of the Angel's marks to be bestowed upon you. Are you aware of the honour being done to you and will you do all in your power to be worthy of it?_

Simon nodded. "Yes," he said, trying not to cringe away from the Silent Brother in front of him.

_And you accept these marks of the Angel which will be upon your body forever, a reminder of all that you owe to the Angel and of your sacred duty to the world?_

"I do," Simon said and, from the corner of his eye, he could see both Clary and Isabelle smile.

_Then we begin._

Simon saw the Silent Brother in front of him – Brother Enoch – pull a stele from a pocket in his coat and the other hand reached out to grab Simon's wrist.

He took a deep breath as the Brother Enoch lowered the stele to his skin. The tip of it pressed against the back of his hand and the Brother Enoch moved the stele swiftly.

Black lines swirled from the tip and Simon bit his lip, feeling the sting as the stele moved across his skin.

In a matter of seconds, Brother Enoch pulled the stele away and Simon glanced down at his hand, immediately recognising the rune as the Voyance rune.

_One more then we will be finished here._

Brother Enoch's voice echoed through Simon's mind again as he lowered the stele once more, this time, to the inside of Simon's wrist.

Simon was expecting the sting this time, but it was still an unfamiliar feeling and he once again bit his lip until the stele was pulled back.

Again, he could recognize the rune. It was the Angelic Power rune.

_We are done here now._

Brother Enoch nodded once as he spoke and then both Brothers walked swiftly from the room.

"You're officially a real Shadowhunter now!" Clary said as she pulled Simon into a hug.

Simon smiled and returned the hug. "Do runes always sting like that when they are applied?" Simon asked as he pulled back.

"There is always a sting, yes, but you get used to it as time passes," Clary replied.

"I hardly feel the sting now... it seems more like... a tickle, I guess," Isabelle added.

"That's nice to know..." Simon said. "So what are we going to do now?"

"I don't know about Clary and Isabelle... but you're mine for the next two hours. Let's move," Jace said from the door.

"Are you serious?" Simon asked.

"Yes, I am. Now move," Jace said, pushing away from the door as he started walking down the hall.

Simon groaned but got up. "I'll see you guys later... if he doesn't kill me first..." he said, following Jace to the training room.

**A/N: Review please!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Simon hit the mat with a thud; the force of his fall knocked the air from his lungs. Jace stood over him, the tip of his practice sword hovering just under Simon's chin.

"You can't keep a grip on that sword, can you?" Jace said, annoyance lacing his tone as he looked over at Simon's practice sword which lay several feet away.

Simon just glared at Jace. "Not everyone is a professional Jace," he snapped. "It would be nice to actually have some sort of instruction or guidance but no, all you do is give me a sword and expect that I know how to use it."

Jace narrowed his slightly and moved away so that Simon could get up and retrieve his sword.

"I did teach you how to use it," Jace said as glanced at his own practice sword before looking back at Simon. "I told you, feel the weight of it, keep it balanced; keep your own balance," he continued, demonstrating his own instructions as he spoke.

Simon just pressed his lips together in a tight line before letting out his breath. Jace was starting to get on his nerves. He did demonstrate things, and he told Simon what to do but he never offered to help, and that was the cause of Simon's mistakes. He could only learn so much but watching and listening.

"Let's try again," Jace said, taking a step forward and planting his feet on the ground, in line with his shoulders.

Simon sighed with thinly veiled annoyance and gripped the hilt of his practice sword and attempted to mimic Jace's stance.

Jace gave him only a few seconds before he moved across the floor. He moved with the grace all Shadowhunters had and his movements were clearly those of a Shadowhunter with a lot of training.

Simon managed to dodge Jace's first swing and he raised his own sword in time to block Jace as he swung again.

"Nice," Jace said; a rare compliment.

Simon ignored it, not wanting to get distracted. He used his own sword to push against Jace's but Jace moved again, causing Simon to stumble slightly.

With a simple flick of his wrist, Jace knocked Simon's sword from his hand again and held his own weapon out, the tip of it pointed, once again, just below Simon's chin.

"You're terrible at this," Jace said. "It's so simple, yet you're failing. You're absolutely hopeless..." he continued.

"It's not my fault!" Simon snapped, narrowing his eyes at Jace. "No one is perfect when trying something new. I'm sure you couldn't use a sword properly the first time it was placed in your hand. How many times did you drop a weapon when training? How many times did you mess up? Don't say you never did, because that's not true."

Jace simply stared at Simon through narrowed eyes.

"You stand ten feet from me, briefly tell me what to do and then expect that I'll pick up on it straight away. That's not how things work. In order for me to learn it's going to take time and practice and instruction; more instruction than you standing ten feet away from me while giving me a vague idea of what I'm meant to do," Simon continued, his sudden temper cooling as he came to the end of his small rant.

"Sorry," Jace mumbled, moving to retrieve Simon's practice sword.

"Did you just apologize to me?" Simon asked, slightly bewildered.

"You deserve it..." Jace muttered as he held the practice sword out.

Simon reached out and took it, still slightly shocked.

"Hold it like this," Jace said, standing beside Simon now as he demonstrated how to grip the sword. "Feel the weight of it in the palm of your hand and try to balance it; keep it steady."

Simon nodded and did as Jace said. "And when you swing, try to swing from your shoulder. Use your body to force the sword forward; it puts more force into the blow and will help you disarm your opponent, if they are using a sword. It's not likely that you'll come across an opponent who can use a sword, but it's a handy skill to know," Jace continued.

"And don't stand with your feet so close together," Jace said, kicking his foot against the inside of Simon's as he forced Simon to stand properly. "This gives you more balance."

Simon just nodded as Jace spoke, confused by his sudden change in attitude.

"Alright... let's try again," Jace said, moving to stand in front of Simon.

He was still for a moment before he moved forward, the sword in front of him. Simon moved at the same time and their swords collided with a sharp sound.

"I felt the force of that blow this time," Jace said, still staying focused on Simon.

Simon nodded once and spun out of the way as Jace swung his practice sword forwards.

The pattern continued for a few moments before Jace once again managed to knock the sword out of Simon's hand. "You did... better," Jace said.

"Well... that was thanks to you finally giving me some sort of proper instruction," Simon said as he bent to pick up his blade.

Jace nodded once. "Keep practicing... on your own time. As for now, put the blade away. We'll work some more on your balance. You're still rather clumsy," he said, putting his own blade with the rest.

With a sigh, Simon placed his practice sword with the others and moved to join Jace for another hour of what he considered torture.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Eventually, Simon's training session was over and Jace went to shower and change. He rubbed the towel over his hair then hung it on the hook before he left the bathroom.

He then made his way to the kitchen, in need of something to eat after the physical exertion he had just endured.

"By the Angel, I hope you're not trying to cook again," Jace said, seeing Isabelle in the kitchen, a wooden spoon in her hand.

"Shut up or I'll hit you with this," Isabelle replied, turning to narrow her eyes at Jace.

Jace simply raised his hands as a sign of peace and moved to the fridge. He scanned the shelves and saw a box of pizza. He pulled it out, grabbed a slice and placed the box back on the shelf before grabbing a napkin from the box on the counter.

"You'll ruin your appetite if you eat that now," Isabelle said, spying the piece of cold pizza in Jace's hand.

"If you're cooking, I'll eat the rest of the pizza, just to make sure I'm not hungry when it's time for dinner," Jace replied, stepping to the side just in time to avoid the wooden spoon that Isabelle had tossed across the room.

Jace chuckled and quickly moved out of the room before Isabelle could find anything else to throw.

He then began searching for Clary, glancing in through the open doors he passed.

He was about to head up to check her room when he heard a soft, delicate sound coming from down the hall; a sound he recognized easily.

He walked down to the music room and glanced in.

Clary was sitting at the piano, tapping a few of the higher keys over and over.

"I'm going to need to teach you how to play the piano properly..." Jace said, walking into the room and taking a seat beside Clary.

"I'll never be able to play as well as you," Clary replied, her fingers still tapping the keys. "And besides, I'm going to have way too much on my plate soon and I won't have the time to learn the piano as well. I'm more than happy to let that be your talent alone..."

"It would be nice to share it with you," Jace said, wiping his fingers on the napkin before shoving it in the pocket of his jeans.

Clary shook her head, a small smile on her face. "I'll be back to fighting demons soon Jace, and we'll have our baby to take care of... and I draw... I'm not musically talented... I'm sure she would love to learn though..." Clary said, placing a hand over her stomach.

Jace smiled. "She's going to have it all, isn't she?" he said. "She'll be artistic like you, musical like me, a great Shadowhunter and she'll be the cutest child ever... by the Angel, what am I going to do when she becomes a teenager and develops an interest in boys?"

Clary laughed. "We'll cross that bridge when the time comes. And what makes you say she'll be artistic and musical? Maybe she won't be," she said.

"She'll be perfect because she has the best parents in the world," Jace said, kissing Clary's cheek. "I wrote something, by the way... I don't normally compose songs but this had to become a reality," he continued, turning to face the piano.

He placed his fingers on the keys and then the soft music filled the room, the high notes mixing with lower notes in perfect harmony.

He glanced at Clary occasionally while he played and he noticed that she was smiling the whole time. He played the last few notes and the sound echoed throughout the room for a moment before everything was silent again.

"That was... beautiful Jace," Clary said with a smile, reaching up to wipe away the tears that had appeared in her eyes.

"Well, it was inspired by the most important people in my life... two beautiful girls," Jace said, staring at Clary while he placed a hand over her stomach.

Clary smiled widely and wrapped her arms around Jace's neck. "You're amazing... have I told you that before?" she asked.

"Many people have told me I'm amazing," Jace replied with a chuckle, kissing Clary's head as he held her.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Magnus's apartment had once again been changed – Alec didn't know exactly what happened to the furniture when Magnus got rid of it, and he had no idea where the new stuff came from but he didn't ask.

Both he and Magnus were seated on the black leather sofa – one of the many new pieces of furniture in the apartment – and Magnus had changed the channel on the television to some action movie that neither of them was interested in.

"How is your new recruit getting along?" Magnus asked quietly, his tone implying that he was curious, but at the same time, not exactly interested.

"I'm not entirely sure... Jace is training him. He must be doing okay, considering Jace isn't complaining about him..." Alec replied.

Magnus hummed quietly, tracing a finger over a few of the runes on Alec's arm.

"You're rather quiet tonight..." Alec said, suppressing a shiver as a cool breeze drifted in through the open window – it wasn't the only reason he felt the need to shiver either; Magnus brought out all kinds of emotions and reactions.

"Am I?" Magnus asked, his finger still dancing lightly across Alec's skin.

"Mhmm..." Alec murmured. "You normally do most of the talking although tonight... you haven't said much at all."

"I have my reasons..." Magnus said. "I have... a lot on my mind right now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alec asked, turning his head so that he could see Magnus.

"I was planning to," Magnus replied, moving away from Alec and getting off the sofa.

Alec watched as he took a step away from the sofa and turned.

"We've had our ups and downs over the time we've known each other and the downs have been... painful, to an extent... but the ups, well I can't imagine how it could get better... I've never felt happier... you're the best thing that's happened to me, Alec," Magnus said.

Alec nodded once. Magnus's tone implied that he had more to say.

"The only thing that could possibly make me happier is if I could say you were truly mine, in every way..." Magnus continued, kneeling down in front of Alec. "Alexander... will you marry me?"

**A/N: Boom... cliff hanger! I'm terrible, aren't I? I don't update for two and a half weeks then leave you with a cliff hanger... sorry... next update will hopefully be next Wednesday.**

**Review please! (They tend to make me update faster because I know people are waiting for it.)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I am SO sorry I haven't updated! I'm in my senior year of high school and I have had so much school work it's unbelievable! I would have updated sooner but my education has to come first and I couldn't find much time to write this chapter... anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

Chapter 23

Alec was speechless as he stared at Magnus who, still kneeling on the floor, had pulled out a velvet box and opened it, revealing a simple gold ring.

"Alec?" Magnus said after a moment of silence, trying to hide the nerves that suddenly appeared in his voice.

Alec blinked and lifted his gaze from the ring to look at Magnus.

"I..." Alec said, trying to find his voice again as he recovered from the shock.

"It was too soon..." Magnus mumbled. His voice was so quiet Alec had hardly heard him. He began to move but Alec reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"No..." Alec said. "It just... we'd go through so much trouble to get married. The Clave hardly approves of our relationship and the trouble that would come once word of our engagement got out would be... immense..."

Magnus continued to pull back, trying to move out of Alec's grip.

"But it's something I'm willing to face and endure. Of course I'll marry you Magnus," Alec said.

Magnus looked up then and the joy in his eyes was clear. The smile that spread across his face made Alec smile in return.

"The ring is nothing fancy, just a plain gold band... but I know you're not a fan of fancy things... I couldn't get you nothing though so..." Magnus said, holding out the box.

"It's... perfect..." Alec said as he carefully pulled the ring out of the box. "I mean... if it had a diamond in it, I would still marry you, but I'd tell you to keep the ring..."

"I kind of assumed that, which was why I didn't get anything with a diamond," Magnus said.

Alec smiled as Magnus took the ring and slid it onto his finger. "I'm going to have to get used to that," Alec said, glancing down at the gold band. "I'm not used to wearing a ring on that hand."

Magnus chuckled slightly and got off the floor, returning to his seat on the couch next to Alec.

"Now we're going to have to deal with the Clave," Alec said. "And it won't be an easy argument to win although things may be a little easier considering my father is the Inquisitor... he'll try to help us. He's more supportive of us than he used to be..."

"I'm willing to wait as long as we have to," Magnus said with a smile.

Alec smiled back and then leaned towards Magnus, pulling him into a passionate kiss filled with love and every other emotion that was currently coursing through his body.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"I've been here for almost a month now and there hasn't been much trouble with the faeries," Tessa said to Jace as they walked along one of Manhattan's streets.

"I know... it's odd..." Jace replied. "For a while, all they wanted to do was kill me but they've pretty much disappeared, it would seem..."

"Any idea why?" Tessa asked.

Jace shook his head then pushed his hair back out of his face. "None... maybe they gave up... I don't know..."

Tessa simply sighed as she stared at her descendent. It was evident that the current situation he was in had him stressed to no end. He glanced at her then looked away walking in silence and lowering his eyes to the ground, watching his feet as he moved. His lashes cast shadows under his eyes, making the dark, bruise-like shadows stand out more.

"I just don't get it... the fey love politics... they should be trying to figure out who will be the next queen... or king... whatever... but no... they're out to kill me," he continued, kicking a piece of litter across the sidewalk.

"This isn't the Jace Herondale I've heard so much about," Tessa said, gently placing a hand on Jace's shoulder. "From what I've been told, you don't normally act like this."

"This is a different situation. I was protecting my Parabatai and following the law. The fey aren't allowed to have weapons unless they've been granted permission... they would have been sought out eventually, I just sped things up a bit since I was already there... and besides... I have a family to look out for as well. I don't want to have to constantly watch my back while looking out for my family... and performing my duties as a Shadowhunter," Jace explained.

He walked in silence for a moment, as did Tessa. "Everyone thinks I'm strong because of the way I act... yes, I am strong but I do have... vulnerabilities... I'm just not very open about them..." Jace added quietly after a moment.

"No one can shoulder the entire weight of the world," Tessa said. "And no one would expect you to... you're going through a bit of a rough phase Jace and your family... Alec and Magnus, Clary and Isabelle... Simon... me... we're here to support you Jace. It's what a family does."

Jace glanced at Tessa and she saw a small smile on his face. It didn't quite reach his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Let's head back to the institute," Tessa said. "And don't worry; like I said before, everything will eventually be sorted out. The fey won't get away with what they are doing."

_**-o-O-o-**_

Simon was growing more attached to Isabelle as the days passed and his memories of her, along with the others, were slowly returning.

He had mustered up the courage and asked Isabelle out on a date and now he was trying to fight back the nerves as he walked out of the institute with her.

"So where are we going?" Isabelle asked, the heel of her boots clicking against the concrete sidewalk as they walked away from the institute.

"Well... I'm taking you out to dinner, like I said earlier... and I was thinking we could maybe go out dancing later this evening?" Simon said, although the last part of his sentence came out sounding more like a question.

"I'd like that... I haven't been out dancing in a while. Not for fun, anyway... whenever I'm able to go out dancing I'm always luring a demon," Isabelle replied with a smile.

Simon couldn't help the smile that spread across his face in response. The setting sun was ahead of them and the orange-gold light brought out the tiny gold flecks in Isabelle's dark eyes.

Isabelle stared straight at Simon for a moment before she looked forward again. "So how far away is the restaurant?" Isabelle asked. "Are we going to have to catch a cab, or are we going to be able to walk?"

"It's just around the corner actually..." Simon said, slowly reaching for Isabelle's hand before lacing his fingers through hers.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her smile.

They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the restaurant. It didn't seem like much on the outside – it was a rather plain building with a few tables and chairs outside. A sign with the name of the restaurant hung above the door and a glowing neon sign in the window declared that it was open.

Simon and Isabelle stepped through the open door and one of the waiters walked over. "A table for two sir?" the waiter asked. "Or are you joining someone?"

"A table for two please," Simon replied, brushing off the fact that the waiter had called him sir. The guy honestly didn't seem much older than Simon – he may have even been younger for all Simon knew – and he wasn't exactly used to being called sir.

"Right this way," the waiter said, turning and leading Simon and Isabelle towards the back of the restaurant. "Here you are... can I get you anything to drink while you order?"

Simon glanced at Isabelle who smiled in response. "Water will be fine," she said.

Simon nodded and turned back to the waiter. "Two glasses of water please," he said before taking a seat at the table, opposite Isabelle.

The waiter nodded and disappeared, heading back to the kitchen.

"This is actually a nice restaurant... nicer than Taki's," Isabelle said, her dark eyes scanning the room before they fell back on Simon.

Simon nodded and smiled slightly, taking in the restaurant around him. It was a fairly average restaurant – nothing fancy. The table held a jar of salt and pepper, some napkins and a basket of breadsticks and the decorations weren't that fancy either.

A few strings of small, twinkling lights hung on the walls and there was a vase of flowers here and there, but not much else.

Simon didn't complain though. Isabelle seemed happy and that was all that mattered.

When he glanced back at her he saw that she had picked up a menu and was scanning over it. Simon had just picked up the other menu when the waiter returned with two glasses of water.

"Just let me know when you are ready to order," the waiter said, placing the glasses on the table before he turned and went to another table.

Simon nodded once, a little too late, and focused on his menu. "Do you see anything you might like?" Simon asked, placing his menu on the table and looking across at Isabelle.

She lifted her eyes from her menu and smiled. "Yes," she replied with a wink. "Although I am certain I like it."

Simon dropped his gaze and lowered his head as he felt his cheeks heat up. When he was certain the blush was gone, he looked up again and offered Isabelle a small smile. "I meant on the menu," he said.

"I know," Isabelle replied. "I can flirt though, can't I?" she asked, clearly not as nervous as Simon was.

"I guess," he said with a small, nervous chuckle. "What would you like to order?"

"The Hawaiian Chicken sounds nice," Isabelle said, glancing back down at the menu.

Simon smiled in return and beckoned the waiter back over to the table so they could order.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle and Simon left the restaurant about half an hour later and made their way up the street, weaving in between the crowds.

The streets had started to fill up with people who were out for a night on the town – heading to clubs and restaurants and pubs. Some people were dressed up while others were simply in casual clothing.

"So where were we going to go next?" Isabelle asked, remembering that Simon had mentioned dancing earlier in the evening.

"Well there's a new club that recently opened up a few streets over... a few of my friends went there a couple of weeks ago and they said it was pretty fun... I thought we could check it out?" Simon replied, gripping Isabelle's hand again and turning the corner.

Isabelle nodded. "Sounds like fun. I'm up for trying new things," she said.

They continued to talk as they walked along the street, sticking close to the buildings. As they neared the street the club was on, Isabelle could hear the bass of the music thumping through the night.

They turned yet another corner and the club came into view.

Outside the club, the building looked like many others in New York. A few security guards stood outside the door and a crowd of teenagers and young adults dressed in leather and bright coloured clothing stood along the street, bouncing in place as they waited to be let inside.

Simon pulled Isabelle along and they joined the crowd.

Not in the mood to wait Isabelle stepped in front of Simon and began pushing through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed shouts and gestures she received as she moved.

She eventually made her way to the front of the crowd and she let out a sigh.

"Was that necessary?" Simon asked quietly.

Isabelle shrugged. "Hey, I don't get to go out for fun often and we could be called back to the institute at any moment because of some Shadowhunter business. And I'm not really in the mood to wait... I just want to have fun," Isabelle said, flashing a smile.

Simon simply sighed and shrugged in response.

He looked up just as one of the security guards looked at straight and him and Isabelle.

"Hi there, going to let us in?" Isabelle asked stepping forward and pulling Simon with her. She saw the security guard scan his eyes over her and then Simon.

"You're not carrying anything dangerous that could be used as a weapon?" he asked.

"Of course not," Isabelle said, flashing a smile.

The guard scanned his eyes over Isabelle and Simon once more before nodding and allowing them to enter the club.

Inside, the bass was heavier and, like most other night clubs, neon lights flashed constantly and dry-ice smoke covered the dance floor.

"Come on! Let's dance!" Isabelle said, pulling Simon onto the dance floor before turning to face him as she moved to the beat.

Simon smiled and tried to copy her – he tried his best to move in time with the music but he was fairly certain he just looked like a fool who had no idea how to dance.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Time seemed to fly past quickly as Simon and Isabelle danced.

Simon was certain that Isabelle looked much better than he did but he was having fun nonetheless and his nerves seemed to melt away as the night carried on.

After dancing for what seemed like forever, Isabelle finally decided to retire to one of the booths at the back of the club and Simon silently sighed, grateful for the break.

"I haven't had this much fun in ages!" Isabelle said excitedly as she sat down on one of the seats.

Her breathing was heavy and she seemed slightly flushed but she was still beautiful – even with her mascara slightly smudged under her eyes.

"Do you want a drink? Hopefully they sell water here and not just alcoholic drinks..." Simon asked.

"That would be nice," Isabelle said with a smile, leaning back against the seat.

"I'll be right back then," Simon said, standing up again and making his way over to the bar that was set up on the opposite side of the club.

"You do sell water here right?" Simon asked as he reached the bar.

"Yes, we do. Not all of our guests are old enough to drink alcohol," the guy standing behind the bar said.

"Good... I'll have two glasses please," Simon said, sitting on one of the stools while the guy filled two glasses with water.

"Thank you," Simon said once he was handed the glasses. He gave the man a tip and walked back over to Isabelle.

"Here you are," he said placing a glass on the table in front of her before walking around to sit on the other side of the booth.

"Hey... come sit over here," Isabelle said with a pout as she slid across the seat patted the space beside her. "There's plenty of room."

Simon smiled slightly and moved again to sit beside Isabelle.

"I haven't tired you out too much have I?" Isabelle asked after a moment.

"A little..." Simon replied with a slight chuckle.

"Sorry," Isabelle said sheepishly. "I'm just used to dancing all the time like that... I'm not used to having someone around who can't do that."

"It's alright. I was having fun... and I need to build up my stamina right? I mean... if I'm going to fight demons and all, I need to have that energy," Simon said quietly.

Isabelle laughed. "You've got a lot of training to do before you join us on a hunt," she said.

"I know," Simon replied. "It will pay off in the long run though... maybe I'll actually be able to beat Jace at one of his training exercises," he added with a laugh.

"Maybe," Isabelle replied, taking a sip of her water.

She didn't seem to be tired anymore; she was full of energy again. "Tonight has been... great," she said after a moment of silence. "It's been one of the best nights of my life."

Simon smiled but it dropped when Isabelle moved. She had inched herself closer to Simon's side and was resting her cheek on his shoulder. She didn't stay like that for long though. She moved away but moved closer again, this time swinging one of her legs over his so she was straddling him.

She placed her hands on his chest and he felt his heartbeat pick up as he sucked in a gasp. "It really has been great Simon," she said.

He forced himself to meet her eyes and he fought back another gasp as Isabelle lowered her face and pressed her lips to his.

A spark – something like electricity – jolted through him as their lips made contact and a swirl of images flooded his mind; Isabelle, upset on her bed, Isabelle in his arms, Isabelle leaning over him, Isabelle lying beside him as he told her a story...

He fought to bring his mind back to the present and he reached up, placing his hands on Isabelle's shoulders before he pushed her back slightly.

He heard her breath come out in a gasp and when he looked up at her, her dark eyes were wide.

Simon shook his head slightly and he saw and felt Isabelle go slightly limp before she stiffened and pulled herself away from Simon, tugging the hem of her dress down from where it had ridden up her thighs.

"I... I'm not ready for that yet Isabelle... it's- it's too soon," Simon stuttered.

"I know... I'm sorry... I don't know what I was thinking. I was just... caught up in the moment," Isabelle replied. "It's getting late..." she added after a moment. "We should probably... head back to the institute..."

Simon could sense that their date had come to an end and he nodded slightly, standing up and heading for the door. He could hear the click of Isabelle's heels behind him so he didn't need to worry about turning to see if she was following him.

If he hadn't left right away though, he was almost certain Isabelle would have walked herself back to the institute.

It was only once they were out the door that Simon realized they had left their glasses on the table. Someone would collect them eventually though, he thought, so he didn't bother turning around.

The walk back to the institute was silent apart from the sounds of traffic and the various chatter from other people on the street; Simon and Isabelle didn't say another word to each other.

Isabelle soon picked up the pace and was eventually walking almost half a block in front of Simon. He could see that she appeared disappointed though. She didn't have the same bounce in her step as she had earlier that night and her shoulders were hunched forward; she seemed stiff.

Simon sighed and continued walking up the street, trailing behind Isabelle. Things hadn't exactly gone as planned. Maybe he'd jumped into things too soon; it hadn't been long since he was reintroduced to the shadow world, after all. He was still getting to know people again and he was still trying to reform the bonds he once had. Maybe he should have waited a little longer before trying to kick things off with Isabelle again, he thought.

With another sigh, he turned the corner and headed back down the street to the institute, just in time to see the gate close behind Isabelle.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I made it extra long just for you guys, since it's been forever since I updated... How many of you thought I was going to make Alec say no to Magnus? I bet there was someone out there who did! Also, I'm not exactly going to make things easy on Sizzy, as you can see... Also, I've started a twitter account... it's Renesmee4evaFF... link on my blog and profile! Review please!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Ta-daaaaaaaa; I updated! Hahaha... Clary and Jace decided on their baby girl's name in this chapter! I know some of you have been waiting for this moment!**

**Just a quick response to a guest review before I start the chapter;**

**Calea: Your review made my day! I read through every review I get but yours stood out this time round! And in response to your question about that trippy dress, I can honestly say I have seen both white and gold and blue and black. I mainly see white and gold though and when it does appear blue and black, it lasts for maybe a second or two. That dress actually started a debate in my English class until we were told to focus!**

Chapter 24

Simon slowly made his way to the training room, his mind playing over the events from the previous night. He wasn't exactly paying attention so he had to do a double take when he walked into the training room.

He had been expecting to see Jace but instead he saw Alec. He had a bow in his hand and had just let the arrow fly as Simon stepped through the doors.

Simon simply watched as the arrow struck the middle of the target on the opposite side of the room.

"Where's Jace?" Simon asked after a moment.

"He's busy today," Alec replied walking over to the target to retrieve his arrow. "I'll be training you today... what has Jace taught you so far?"

"Mainly balance and hand to hand combat..." Simon said.

Alec nodded once and walked back over to Simon. "Well today you'll learn about fighting from a distance. Grab a bow and some arrows," he said, pointing to where the weapons were stored.

"I don't need to learn how to use a bow and arrow. I went to archery camp for six years, I have enough experience," Simon said, not moving from his spot as he stared at Alec.

"I know you have experience in archery, but I highly doubt you have experience in using archery in battle. Have you ever been taught how to avoid an attack while using your bow and arrow? Have you ever been taught how to recover from an attack while still being engaged in a battle?" Alec asked, raising an eyebrow.

Simon was still for a moment before he shook his head.

"I didn't think so," Alec said. "Grab a bow and some arrows... and an arm guard."

Simon sighed and went to grab a bow and a quiver – already holding the arrows – before he returned to Alec.

He put the arm guard on and swung the quiver over his shoulder so it sat against his back.

"Alright, first things first," Alec said, pointing to the targets on the opposite side of the room. "Let's see how good your aim is."

Simon shrugged and grabbed an arrow before raising his bow and drawing the arrow back. He lined the arrow up with the target and let it fly.

He smiled in satisfaction as the arrow struck the centre of the target.

"Nice," Alec said. "Can you do it again?"

"Of course I can..." Simon said, drawing another arrow before letting it fly.

"Alright, good," Alec said after Simon demonstrated his archery skills a few times. "You can hit a stationary target, but can you hit a moving target. Demons aren't going to stay still so you can shoot them."

"I've had a bit of experience with moving targets..." Simon said.

"Alright then, let's see what you've got," Alec said, walking across the room to set up a moving target before he stood behind Simon.

Simon grabbed an arrow and drew it back, watching as the target across the room moved back and forth. After a moment he let the arrow fly but, to his dismay, it missed the target.

"Try again," Alec said. "Watch it carefully."

Simon simply nodded and watched the target move before letting another arrow fly. This one hit the edge of the target – not exactly Simon's goal, but better than his last shot.

"Good... keep trying. You need to aim for the target. Hitting the side of a demon will injure it but not kill it. You need to have perfect aim," Alec said.

Simon tried a few more times until he ran out of arrows. He had hit the target a few times but his arrows always missed the centre.

He was about to move to collect his arrows when another arrow whistled past his head and struck the centre of the target.

Simon turned to see Alec lowering his bow. "When you try again, line the arrow up with the target then move ahead a bit. It takes time for the arrow to reach its destination, remember," he said.

"By this point, Jace would be getting agitated... at least you're still calm," Simon said before turning to collect his arrows.

"Jace isn't very patient," Alec said with a chuckle.

"You can say that again," Simon replied, placing the arrows back in the quiver before he walked back across the room.

"Alright, try again," Alec said.

Simon raised his bow and followed Alec's instructions. He had been aiming ahead of the target before decided that he may have been misjudging the distance. With a deep breath, he let the arrow fly.

This time, it struck closer to the target.

"You're improving. Keep it up," Alec encouraged.

Simon let out a small smile and continued with the rest of his training session.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"We need to talk baby names," Clary said as she sat on the bed beside Jace.

"You've still got another four months before she's born Clary," Jace said. "Why do we need to talk names now?"

"Because I said we do," Clary replied. "And she should have a name... I don't want to just be calling her 'the baby' or 'little girl' until she's born. She needs a name. We don't have to decide on one tonight, but we need to discuss names at least."

"Alright," Jace said, sitting up. "I'm assuming you have something in mind since you brought the topic up."

"I have a few ideas..." Clary admitted. "I think she should be named after your mother, Celine. It doesn't have to be her first name, it could be her middle name, but I think your mother should be a part of her."

Jace smiled. "I think that would be great," he said. "Do you have any other names, or was that it?"

"I have a list of names... I just can't pick which one I like the best. I'll settle on one name and think it's perfect then I start liking another... I can't decide."

"Is there a meaning behind any of the names?" Jace asked.

"Not really... I mean maybe... I don't know," Clary said.

"What were some of your ideas?"

"Well... I was going through a baby name book and I saw the name Kyla..."

"Kyla?" Jace asked. "That's a name I haven't heard before... I like it," he said. "What else?"

"Makenna... Melody... Olivia... there are heaps of names," Clary said.

"Melody... like a melody in music," Jace said, mainly to himself.

"Alexis was another one... it's got the name Alex in it which is similar to Alec and Alec is your Parabatai so I was looking for a name that could include his name... and it means defender of man or warrior... something like that. I thought it was suitable considering our daughter will be a Shadowhunter," Clary explained.

"It would be suitable. Our daughter will be the best warrior ever," Jace said with a smile.

"You say that all the time," Clary said with a small laugh.

"Well it's true," Jace said proudly. "I'm an awesome Shadowhunter and you can create awesome new runes... our daughter will be the best... and I think Alec would be happy to know she's named after him."

Clary laughed again. "Yeah... do you have any name suggestions?"

"I honestly haven't thought about it... but I really like the name Alexis... Alexis Celine Herondale... it has a nice ring to it," Jace said, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

"It does," Clary replied. "Have we just decided on a name?"

"I think we have. Alexis Celine Herondale, our little warrior princess," Jace said.

Clary smiled widely and reached up to kiss Jace.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Isabelle stood in the courtyard and wrapped her arms around her torso. It was only the start of autumn but the nights were already cooling down.

She leaned against the side of the institute and stared towards the west as the sun set. She had taken things a little too far last night and didn't like the distance it had put between her and Simon. She had just been so caught up in the moment that she hadn't thought about the consequences of her actions, considering Simon was still adjusting to his life in the shadow world.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that the sound of her brother's voice made her jump.

"Is everything alright Isabelle?" he asked, appearing beside her.

She turned to look at Alec and shook her head. "I took things too far last night... I should have waited..." she mumbled.

Alec just leaned against the wall beside his sister and waited for her to explain further.

"He took me out last night, you know that, but I... I kissed him and it may have been too soon. He is still adjusting after all and I guess it just wasn't the right time... he hasn't even spoke to me today. He's avoiding me..." Isabelle said, trying to force the tears back; she hated crying in front of others.

"Izzy... he'll come around, you know that right? You'll get back what you had. Just give it a bit more time. I know how you feel right now... I've experience this before, in a way. Simon will be yours again one day. It may be a week from now, it may be another month or more but he will come around. His memories are still returning to him and like Magnus said, it could take quite some time. He may have been with us for a few months now but this is all strange to him, once again. If you try to imagine how he's feeling right now, you'll understand why he's so resistant to start a relationship again," Alec said, watching his sister.

"I know, I know... he was a part of our world and then completely forgot about it and then he returned – because of a band name. I'm glad he's with us again and I can understand how he feels, to an extent, I guess... I just hate waiting. I hate that this happened to him," Isabelle said, her voice shaking towards the end.

Alec just pulled his sister into a hug and rested his head on top of hers as she calmed down. "I know why he did what he did and I'm glad, in a way, because you still have Magnus... but I hate that it took him away from me. It just... it hurts, physically and mentally, to know he isn't mine anymore... it hurts to know it could take a while before we can get back to the way we were," she sobbed, pulling away from her brother to wipe the tears off her face.

"I know," Alec said. "I've felt the pain before..."

Isabelle just took a deep breath and leaned against the institute again. "Thanks for trying to comfort me, Alec," Isabelle said with a small smile.

"No problem... by the way, there's something I have to tell you... I haven't told the others yet... not even Jace. You'll be the first to know," Alec said.

"And what would that be?" Isabelle asked.

"Magnus asked me to marry him," Alec said after a moment.

"Seriously!?" Isabelle exclaimed in excitement. "Please tell me you said yes! You love him so much... don't tell me you denied him because if you did, I will slap you."

Alec chuckled. "Of course I said yes... we just have to get around the Clave... which isn't going to be easy."

Isabelle squealed and hugged her brother. "Well, at least you know you have a group of friends supporting you. Clary and Jace and Simon will support you... and I'm hoping Mom and Dad will too," she said.

Alec nodded in agreement.

"So... did Magnus get you a ring or did he just ask you?" Isabelle asked.

"He got me a ring... it's nothing special... he knows I don't like fancy things so he just got me a simple, plain ring," Alec said.

"That makes sense... if he got you anything with a diamond you probably wouldn't have accepted it," Isabelle said, staring at her brother's hand for a moment.

"You're right there... Magnus could keep the ring but I'd still marry him," Alec said with a smile.

"I'm happy for you big brother," Isabelle said. "Really, congratulations."

"Thanks Izzy," Alec said. "Now how about we head back inside... it's getting a bit cool out here."

Isabelle laughed slightly but nodded and followed her brother back into the institute.

**A/N: So Jace and Clary are naming their baby Alexis Celine! Happy with the name? Not happy? It was the most popular choice so... yeah... and I think Alexis Celine Herondale sounds pretty good.**

**Review Please!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: It's been ages, I know! Forgive me? Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 25

Simon stretched and let out a sigh. Alec's training session had started out simply but had quickly progressed into something much more difficult.

At first, he had simply been firing arrows at the targets but towards the end of his training session Alec had him ducking and turning and rolling all while firing arrows.

He'd tried to copy Alec and tried to follow the instructions he was given but it hadn't been easy – and it had been much more than just difficult. He'd broken two of the arrows trying to pull them from the quiver while he rolled, the arrows had slipped out of the quiver several times – Alec had said this was because he wasn't doing things correctly – and he'd slipped from a crouch several times.

"Maybe being a Shadowhunter wasn't the best choice," he mumbled to himself as he left his room.

"What was that?" Clary asked, appearing behind Simon.

Simon jumped and spun around. "I was just saying... nothing," he said, shaking off the question and walking down the hall. He knew Clary would be persistent though and he knew he was right when she followed him. Despite the fact that she was five – almost six – months pregnant, she still seemed to be able to move pretty quickly. Simon decided it was due to the fact she was used to being a Shadowhunter.

"Slow down Clary... we don't need you falling over," Simon said.

"I would slow down if you would," Clary replied.

Simon sighed and slowed his pace. Clary easily fell into step beside him.

"So what were you saying? Are you regretting being a Shadowhunter?"

"No... I don't think so. I just don't seem to be made for this stuff... I can shoot an arrow at a still target but I'm not that great at hitting a moving target, especially when I have to roll and duck and twist and turn... I didn't think it was going to be this bad," Simon explained, running a hand through his hair as he came to a stop and propped himself up against the wall.

"Training isn't easy Simon. It's going to get complicated and it may take time for you to master things but you were made to do this. You may not have been born into a Shadowhunter family like most of us were but you've saved people so many times and you've got the skills to do this. Just take it slow, practice and you'll get it," Clary said, resting a hand over her stomach as she leaned beside Simon.

"You're saying that because you can do this," Simon said.

"No I'm not Simon. I've been in your position before... a similar position anyway. I've been through those stages of training and I know how difficult it can seem but it gets easier. I can't shoot an arrow to save my life... well... I could I guess but my aim isn't so great. Just ask Alec... you'll get this Simon. You'll be a great Shadowhunter."

Simon let out a small laugh and looked down at Clary beside him. "Enough talk about that... I get it... I'm just annoyed I guess... anyway, what about you? Have you and Jace come up with a name for your daughter?"

"We have," Clary said with a smile, her entire attitude changing as the attention turned to her unborn baby. "We've decided to call her Alexis Celine. I wanted her to be named after Jace's mother and I settled on the name Alexis for two reasons... one is the fact that it means warrior or something like that and the other reason is that it has the name Alex in it, which is pretty close to Alec and Alec means a lot to Jace."

"That's sweet," Simon said. "Do you know when you're due?"

"Sometime in early January I think," Clary replied. "Although you never know... she could be born early... or late... that would suck..."

"It would?" Simon asked.

"Yes, of course it would!" Clary replied, raising her voice slightly before lowering it again. "Being pregnant has its drawbacks Simon. I'm emotional, I have to pee all the time, especially when she kicks, my back is starting to hurt and on top of all that, I look fat," she continued, a frown appearing on her face.

"You're not fat," Jace's voice echoed down the hall. "You're beautiful."

Clary turned and smiled slightly at Jace but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"And do you have any idea how long it will be before I can go hunting demons again? I'll have to catch up on training so I can run and move the way I could before and I'll also have to look after Alexis here for a while... I might not be able to hunt demons again until she's getting her own runes..."

"Don't be silly Clary... you'll be back to hunting demons in no time. There are plenty of people who would be happy to babysit our daughter," Jace said, brushing a lock of hair away from Clary's face and tucking it behind her ear.

"It will be just like it was before, except eventually we'll have Simon with us," Isabelle added, coming down the hall.

"And I honestly never thought I'd see the day you cried because you thought you wouldn't be able to hunt demons," Alec added, walking in behind his sister.

"Shut up Alec," Clary said, brushing a stray tear from her face.

"Exactly, shut up Alec," Jace said, wrapping his arms around Clary.

Alec just raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You know... all we need is Magnus and we could have a party... party in the hall, raise the roof!" Jace said, laughing.

Simon choked back a laugh as the Shadowhunters surrounding him laughed.

"You always know how to lighten the mood Jace," Isabelle laughed.

"I know... on second thought though, maybe we shouldn't get Magnus here... he'll cover this place in glitter... he's crazy enough to do something like that," Jace said.

"Hey!" Alec exclaimed.

"What? He is crazy like that," Jace said with a shrug.

"I'd shut up if I were you, he'll be your brother-in-law soon," Isabelle said.

"Izzy!" Alec said, staring at his sister.

Simon stared at Isabelle as well.

"I know Alec likes Magnus but he could end up liking someone else," Jace said, although he tone suggested he was joking.

"You're engaged?" Clary asked.

Simon spun around to look at Clary and noticed her gaze lock on Alec's hand. He followed her gaze and saw the band on the older Shadowhunter's finger and his eyes widened.

"Well... that was not how I planned to tell everyone..." Alec muttered.

"Sorry..." Isabelle said.

"You told Isabelle before me?" Jace asked, feigning emotional pain.

"Shut up Jace... I was getting around to tell everyone," Alec said, a blush appearing in his cheeks.

"Well... I guess a congratulations is in order," Clary said.

"Yeah," Jace said. "I'm happy for you."

Alec simply smiled and his posture made it evident that he clearly wasn't comfortable with the conversation so, despite the fact Alec wasn't his favourite Shadowhunter in the institute, Simon decided to change the subject.

"Anyway... Clary and Jace have decided on a name for their daughter," Simon said and turned to see Clary smiling again. Any mention of her daughter seemed to bring a smile to her face and her happiness was contagious.

"What did you decided to name her?" Isabelle asked.

"Alexis Celine," Jace said with a smile as he placed his hand over Clary's stomach.

"Celine? After your mother?" Isabelle asked.

"Yeah," Jace said.

"And Alexis for two reasons... the meaning and the fact that, in a way, it's similar to Alec's name... part of your name is in her name," Clary said, smiling at Alec.

Alec smiled back and the uncomfortable air that had recently surrounded him disappeared as they continued their conversation.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"Clary!" Isabelle shouted, her voice echoing down the hall of the institute. "Clary where are you?"

Clary sighed and put down her paintbrush and turned around just in time to see Isabelle walk past the room.

She only waited a second before she saw Isabelle again.

"There you are!" she said, walking in.

"What's up Isabelle?" Clary asked.

"I just wanted to show you something. I went out earlier today and bought a few things for my niece."

"I haven't even gone shopping for anything yet... shoot," Clary said, placing a hand over her stomach as she looked up at Isabelle.

"Well lucky for you, I did... it's not much, but there are a couple of things. You'll need a lot more than what I've bought," Isabelle smiled and handed Clary the bag. "Have a look."

Clary smiled slightly and opened the bag. "This is adorable Izzy," Clary said, pulling out one of the outfits – a little pink one-piece that said 'princess.' "And it's so tiny!"

"I swear I don't even recognize you right now Clary," Isabelle said with a laugh. "And thank you... Jace is always calling your unborn daughter a princess so when I saw that, I had to get it."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Jace saw it and decided to write the word 'warrior' on it so it said 'warrior princess'" Clary laughed.

Clary continued to go through the bag until she had pulled everything out. "Thank you Izzy... I'm sure you're going to end up spoiling your niece... she'll be one lucky Shadowhunter."

"Yep," Isabelle smiled. "I'll get her whatever she wants – clothes, make-up, heels –"

"My daughter is not wearing heels or make-up until she is at least fifteen," Clary said, cutting Isabelle off.

"Aww... why?"

"Because she's my daughter and I said so."

"You can't tell me you didn't wear make-up before you were fifteen," Isabelle said, folding her arms.

"Well... I didn't have a lot. I had lip-gloss and that's about it. Enough of this... she's not even born yet," Clary said, waving off the conversation as she packed things back into the bag.

"Fine," Isabelle said. "I'll go bug my brother about his wedding," she added after a moment, a little more excited as she left the room.

Clary shrugged and moved the bag to the side so she could finish the painting she was doing for her daughter's room.

**A/N: I know, I know... it's shorter than usual... I was having trouble coming up with an ending for this chapter and it's been a while since I update and I had to get this out... I'll try to make the next chapter longer to make up for it! Review Please! xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: So sorry this is late! I've been so busy!**

Chapter 26

October 2008

The cool, fall weather had started to settle in and the leaves had started falling from the trees, covering the sidewalk in various shades of orange and red and brown – colours that simply looked dark in the night, occasionally illuminated by a street lamp. Jace's boots crunched against the leaves as he walked.

He tossed his hair out of his face and walked back up to the institute, welcoming the warmer air as he stepped through the door.

He made his way through the institute and up to his room. Opening the door, he saw Clary curled up on the bed, her sketch book and coloured pencils lying in front of her.

Jace smiled and placed the little box he carried on the bedside table before walking around the bed to clear away Clary's sketch book and pencils. He placed them on her dresser, took another glance at Clary then walked into the bathroom to shower.

He allowed the hot water to relax his tense muscles. Things had been quiet lately – there had been no demon sightings, the faeries had seemingly disappeared and there had been no trouble with any of the other Downworlders – but he could help the nagging feeling he had that something major was going to happen.

He had voiced his concerns to his friends but they had put it off as paranoia. He had slowly let go of the concern but it still lingered in the back of his mind and he was constantly on alert, ready for anything.

When the heat in the water started to disappear Jace shut the water off and got out of the shower, dried off and pulled on his pyjamas. After running the towel through his hair he walked back into the bedroom and carefully got into the bed, not wanting to disturb Clary.

She stirred slightly but remained asleep.

Jace smiled slightly, placed a kiss on Clary's forehead then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_**-o-O-o-**_

Clary awoke to sunlight filtering in through the bedroom window and she reached up to shield her eyes.

"Morning Clary," Jace said. Clary could feel that he wasn't in the bed beside her so she rolled over and slowly sat up.

"How do you feel this morning?" Jace asked, appearing right beside the bed, leaning over and placing a kiss on Clary's head.

"Better than most mornings… I don't feel the urge to throw up… at the moment anyway," Clary replied, turning to look at Jace.

Jace smiled and placed a hand over Clary's growing stomach. "And what about you Alexis? How do you feel?"

Clary felt a small movement in her stomach – a kick – and smiled, just as Jace did. "I'm going to say she's feeling good," Jace said.

Clary laughed and swung her legs off the bed.

"Before you go anywhere…" Jace said, walking back around the bed. "I've got something for you."

Clary brought her legs back up onto the bed and turned to look at Jace. "And what would that be?" she asked.

"Well… when I was out the other day, I was walking by some of the shops and I saw this. I know you're not big on jewellery but I thought you might like this," Jace replied, holding out the little box he had picked up the night before.

"Jace…" Clary started.

Jace just held up his hand to stop her. "It's not what you think… just open the box," he said.

Clary looked down at the little box that was now in her hand and slowly lifted the lid, revealing a silver charm bracelet. A single, circular charm hung opposite the clasp as Clary pulled it out of the box.

"The Angelic Rune?" Clary said, looking up from the charm bracelet.

Jace shrugged in response. "I may have drawn it in pen and asked the jeweller to put it on a charm. Turn it over."

Clary looked back down at the charm and turned it over.

_Alexis Celine Herondale_ had been carved into the back of the charm.

Clary smiled and looked back up. "That's sweet," she said.

"Thank you… and you can add more charms to it when we have more kids."

Clary let out a short laugh. "That won't be happening any time soon. I want to be at least twenty before I have another kid," she said.

"Fair enough," Jace said. "As long as we eventually have more kids, I'll be fine."

Clary laughed and unclasped the bracelet. "Can you do it up?" she asked Jace, looking up after trying to wrap the bracelet around her wrist.

"Of course," Jace replied reaching over and doing up the clasp, his fingers brushing lightly over the skin on Clary's wrist as he did so.

Clary smiled and held her wrist up to look at the bracelet again. "Thank you Jace," she said.

"No problem, I knew you'd like it," he replied.

_**-o-O-o-**_

"What do you think?" Magnus asked Alec, who was curled into his side as they sat on the leather sofa in Magnus's living room. "Gold suits and decorations… we could have gold-"

"That's a lot of gold Magnus," Alec interrupted, leaning back slightly so he could look up at Magnus properly.

"Gold is the Shadowhunters colour for marriage," Magnus replied.

"Yes, I know that but you're making everything gold… a few gold accents would be fine but I'm not having everything gold… that would be a bit over the top."

"Fine, but I'm still wearing a gold suit and tie," Magnus said with a smile.

"Fine by me," Alec said. "We still have a long wait ahead of us though… we haven't even discussed this with the Clave… my parents don't even know and we've been engaged for about two weeks now."

"One week, six days, twelve hours, forty-three minutes and…" Magnus said, looking down at his watch. "Seventeen seconds… eighteen seconds… nineteen seconds-"

"I get it," Alec said with a small laugh.

"We knew there would be obstacles in our way but we can get around them. It may take time but we'll get there. At least I can say you're mine," Magnus said, smiling as he leaned down and kissed Alec.

Alec smiled against the kiss and moved closer to Magnus – something that was almost impossible considering the limited space between them in the first place.

Alec had soon tangled himself around Magnus – his back was pressed against the cushions of the sofa and Magnus was above him, trailing kisses along his jaw. Alec was about to bring Magnus's attention back to his lips when a sudden, shrill sound echoed through the apartment.

Magnus ignored it the first time but when the phone rang again, he let out an annoyed groan and moved away from Alec and the sofa.

"Who is it?" Magnus asked, picking up the phone, the annoyed tone prominent in his voice.

Alec sat up and watched Magnus curiously.

After a moment Magnus's expression changed from one of annoyance to one of shock and curiosity.

"Alright… we'll be there shortly," Magnus said before hanging up the phone.

"What was that about? You said we so it involves me," Alec said.

"It was Clary. Apparently a few of the faeries have turned up at the institute. They appear to be unarmed and they aren't posing any sort of threat but they want us there just in case. Jace is making her stay in the library until things are sorted out. We should get moving," Magnus explained.

"Yeah… alright," Alec replied, getting off the sofa. "Are we going via portal or are you going to take the long way?"

"Portal. The faeries may say it's just a friendly visit but I wouldn't trust them after recent events. I know they can't lie but they could have a half-fey speaking for them or the group might believe it's a friendly visit. Let's go," Magnus said, adjusting one of his rings before he began opening up the portal.

**A/N: I know, I know… it's much shorter than the usual chapters for this story but it's been forever and I just had to get this up. I'll try to get another chapter up soon! **

**What do you guys think of the Shadowhunters cast so far? We almost have the entire cast! If you want to see my opinions, I have them up on my blog! Link on my profile. I've also changed my twitter user name so the links on my profile and blog have been updated! **

**Review Please!**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: It's been forever, I know! I haven't dropped off the face of the earth though, I'm still here! I have a perfectly good explanation as to why I've been MIA and not updating!**

**First of all, I've been piled under with work and I haven't been able to get on top of it yet (I'm still trying but I made the time to write this chapter up!) and I had surgery recently (Because of appendicitis.) I was on really strong pain meds for about a week and that put me even further behind in things. **

**On a happier, more exciting note, I get to meet the amazing Cassandra Clare, author of our beloved TMI series this week! (Holly Black will also be there as it is a Magisterium event) I am beyond excited! If you want to hear more about the event/see pics etc, check out my twitter: Aussie_Nephilim ! (fanfiction won't let me put the at symbol in... but its meant to be there!)  
**

**Anyway, on with the chapter! **

Chapter 27

Magnus and Alec arrived back at the institute to find Jace standing in the doorway, blocking the faeries from entering the institute, his hands hovering above the daggers in his weapons belt. Isabelle and Simon stood behind him. Alec assumed Tessa had stayed inside with Clary.

"I assume there is a reason you have come," Alec said, walking up the steps to stand beside Jace, Magnus at his heels.

"We wish to apologize for our recent behaviour," one of the faeries said, clearly the leader of the group. She took a step forwards but paused, seeing Jace's hand twitch above his dagger.

Alec simply raised his eyebrows at the faerie. "You just wanted to apologize. That's not like you," he said.

"It may not be like our kind to do such a thing but recent events angered many of us," the faerie said, throwing a quick glare at Jace before looking at Alec again. "And we took action. Things have settled in the Seelie Court though and we have crowned a new queen and she has ordered us to apologize and leave you Nephilim alone. We want to earn our seat back on the council and fighting with your kind is not the way to do it. We apologize and shall not bother you again."

"If you bother us again, we won't hesitate to fight back," Alec warned, fixing his gaze on the faerie and hoping his expression conveyed the unsaid message.

"And we understand that. We'll be on our way," the faerie said, turning and walking back towards the street with the other two following close behind.

Jace still had his hand hovering above his dagger when Alec turned around.

"I don't trust them. I know they can't lie, unless they are half-faerie, but they tell what they believe is the truth. Words can be twisted… we should still be ready for anything," Jace said, slowly lowering his hand.

Alec nodded. "I agree. For now, there isn't much we can do. We have to let them make the first move."

_**-o-O-o-**_

"You're being awfully quiet tonight," Magnus said, glancing down at Alec. After spending the day at the institute, they had retreated back to Magnus's apartment for some peace and quiet.

"I've just got a lot on my mind," Alec replied, pulling at a loose thread on his grey sweater.

"Care to talk about it? I'm always here and ready to listen."

Magnus moved slightly so he could look down at Alec properly.

Alec just leaned his head against the back of the couch and sighed. "To start things off, there's Jace still worrying about the faeries. I've never seen him like this and I'm hoping he'll chill out now but I don't know if he will. Izzy's upset because she can't be with Simon and I hate seeing her like that and then… then there's us…"

"Jace will calm down, don't worry. He's got Clary to worry about and now that the faeries threats seem to have disappeared, for now anyway, he'll calm down and focus on other things, I'm sure of it. As for Isabelle, she and Simon will work things out. Simon just needs some more time to adjust. He'll come around eventually and you'll be wishing things were still like they are now… and what about us?" Magnus's voice became curious towards the end, a note of worry creeping into his tone as well.

Alec let out a short laugh before taking a deep breath. "You don't need to sound so worried… I was just thinking we really need to tell the Clave. I want to get things sorted out and in telling the Clave, we're taking a risk and it could mean long meetings and arguments and we have no idea how long it will take for them to let us get married. The sooner we tell them, the sooner we may be able to get married."

"In a rush, are we?" Magnus asked with a smile, letting himself relax now that he knew Alec wasn't having second thoughts.

Magnus saw Alec's cheeks darken and he chuckled, reaching up to run his finger over Alec's cheek.

"I just don't want to be waiting forever, you know?" Alec said, lifting his gaze to meet Magnus's.

"I understand," Magnus smiled. "If you want to organise a meeting with the Clave, go ahead. I'm sure you'll have some support from the Consul as well, considering her daughter's sexuality."

"That is true; Jia would do anything to make Aline happy, including trying to convince the Clave to allow same-sex marriages… and Jia is a family friend which could be a bonus… I'll try and organise something tomorrow… right now I just want to relax," Alec said, reaching up and kissing Magnus's jaw.

Magnus turned his head and pressed his lips to Alec's, sliding one hand up to cup Alec's chin as they kissed. "We're in for a bit of a long ride then," he said, pulling back slightly. His lips still brushed Alec's as he spoke.

"A long ride… but it will be worth it in the end," Alec mumbled before pulling Magnus back into a kiss.

**A/: I know its shorter than usual but I hope you enjoyed! Review Please! **


	28. Authors Note

Authors Note: Sorry for those of you expecting a chapter; you've all be so patient and I hope there are still some of you out there. I am so sorry for not updating but I am currently in my final term of high school (hallelujah! Just a few more weeks!) and I have end of year exams etc and it's all so insane. I am writing every chance I get - even if it is just a few sentences at a time. This story is currently on hold until I finish school/until exams are out of the way. I hope you all understand.


	29. Another AN sorry!

Hey guys... sorry for giving you another A/N but unfortunately, I've had major computer problems lately - it has crashed several times a day for about two weeks now and seems to have given up as when I turn it on it just turns itself right back off before I can do anything. Because of this my writing has been paused and I am forced to update from my tablet, from which I can't write and save my chapters... (I could write in the chapters in the document manager here on the site but if I lose access to the internet, I lose access to my chapters so I'm not going to risk it as my internet has also been frequently cutting out... technology really sucks.)

I'll get back to updating as soon as I possibly can, I promise. until then, I hope you all have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!


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